Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Wet Wipes That Turn into Toilet Paper When Flushed
EPA Grant Number: SU840148Title: Wet Wipes That Turn into Toilet Paper When Flushed
Investigators: Lapitsky, Yakov , Seo, Youngwoo , Choudhuri, Kunal , Kendall, Reece C , Griffin, Michael D
Institution: University of Toledo
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to August 31, 2022)
Project Amount: $24,985
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
Wet wipes (despite being often marketed as “flushable”) can clog pipes and pumps in sewer/wastewater treatment systems when flushed down the toilet and, consequently, damage or disrupt the operation of wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Moreover, many commercial wipes contain synthetic polymers that, even when the wipes break down, pollute the water with microplastic fibers. To meet these challenges, we aim to design wet wipes that: (1) turn into regular toilet paper when flushed; (2) eliminate the need for non-biobased polymers; and (3) do not release microplastics upon degrading. We are pursuing this goal by interpenetrating regular toilet paper with self-assembled biopolymeric soft materials, which are stimulus-responsive and constructed from naturally abundant and biodegradable molecular building blocks. These biopolymeric materials serve two crucial roles: first, to reinforce the wet toilet paper to generate wet wipes with sufficient mechanical strength; and second, to rapidly dissolve when flushed, to transform the biopolymer-infused wipes back into readily dispersible toilet paper.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We have shown that: (1) infusion of commercial toilet paper with stimulus-responsive biopolymer gels enables the construction of wet wipes (both water- and alcohol-based) with strengths near or above 100 N/m; and (2) that upon being placed in excess water (i.e., upon simulated flushing) the reinforcing gels rapidly dissolve, causing the wet wipe strength to quickly (within 2 – 3 minutes) diminish to that of wet toilet paper. Unlike flushable products that emit microplastics, the gels used in these wipes disintegrate into solutions of nontoxic and naturally occurring polysaccharides, which (based on our preliminary analyses) are unlikely to interfere with biological wastewater treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that our approach to wipe design could enhance human hygiene (by facilitating wet wipe use and disposal), reduce repair/maintenance costs associated with clogging due to flushed wet wipes, and decrease pollution (by protecting/rehabilitating sewer and wastewater treatment systems and reducing microplastics release).
Conclusions:
Collectively, our experimental results demonstrate that incorporating stimulus-responsive biopolymer gels within toilet paper can generate wet wipes that transform back into regular (readily dispersible) toilet paper upon being flushed.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Bio-based feed stocks, environmentally benign substitute, sustainable wastewater management, wastewater infrastructure.Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.