TY - JOUR

T1 - Prospective Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Nanosilver T-shirts

AU - Walser, Tobias

AU - Demou, Evangelia

AU - Lang, Daniel

AU - Hellweg, Stefanie

PY - 2011/5/15

Y1 - 2011/5/15

N2 - A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to comparenanosilver T-shirts with conventional T-shirts with and without biocidal treatment. For nanosilver production and textile incorporation, we investigate two processes: flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) and plasma polymerization with silver co-sputtering (PlaSpu). Prospective environmental impacts due to increased nanosilver T-shirt commercialization are estimated with six scenarios. Results show significant differences in environmental burdens between nanoparticle production technologies: The “cradle-to-gate” climate footprint of the production of a nanosilver T-shirt is 2.70 kg of CO2-equiv (FSP) and 7.67166 kg of CO2-equiv (PlaSpu, varying maturity stages). Production of conventional T-shirts with and without the biocide triclosan has emissions of 2.55 kg of CO2-equiv (contribution from triclosan insignificant). Consumer behavior considerably affects the environmental impacts during the use phase. Lower washing frequencies can compensate for the increased climate footprint of FSP nanosilver T-shirt production. The toxic releases from washing and disposal in the life cycle of T-shirts appear to be of minor relevance. By contrast, the production phase may be rather significant due to toxic silver emissions at the mining site if high silver quantities are required.

AB - A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to comparenanosilver T-shirts with conventional T-shirts with and without biocidal treatment. For nanosilver production and textile incorporation, we investigate two processes: flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) and plasma polymerization with silver co-sputtering (PlaSpu). Prospective environmental impacts due to increased nanosilver T-shirt commercialization are estimated with six scenarios. Results show significant differences in environmental burdens between nanoparticle production technologies: The “cradle-to-gate” climate footprint of the production of a nanosilver T-shirt is 2.70 kg of CO2-equiv (FSP) and 7.67166 kg of CO2-equiv (PlaSpu, varying maturity stages). Production of conventional T-shirts with and without the biocide triclosan has emissions of 2.55 kg of CO2-equiv (contribution from triclosan insignificant). Consumer behavior considerably affects the environmental impacts during the use phase. Lower washing frequencies can compensate for the increased climate footprint of FSP nanosilver T-shirt production. The toxic releases from washing and disposal in the life cycle of T-shirts appear to be of minor relevance. By contrast, the production phase may be rather significant due to toxic silver emissions at the mining site if high silver quantities are required.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Biocidal

KW - Consumer behaviors

KW - Cosputtering

KW - Environmental burdens

KW - Environmental life cycle assessment

KW - Flame spray pyrolysis

KW - Life-cycle assessments

KW - Maturity stages

KW - Mining sites

KW - Nano silver

KW - Nano-particle production

KW - Production phase

KW - T-shirts

KW - Toxic release

KW - Triclosan

KW - Use Phase

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79956003721&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/es2001248

DO - 10.1021/es2001248

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 21506582

VL - 45

SP - 4570

EP - 4578

JO - Environmental Science & Technology

JF - Environmental Science & Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 10

ER -