Grantee Research Project Results

2024 Progress Report: Developing reusable and antiviral face masks from plastic waste

EPA Grant Number: SU840685
Title: Developing reusable and antiviral face masks from plastic waste
Investigators: Gao, Huipu , Sarkar, Ajoy K. , Islam, Md Imranul
Institution: Fashion Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Brooks, Donald
Phase: I
Project Period: January 1, 2024 through April 25, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2024 through December 31,2024
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: 20th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet Request for Applications (RFA) (2023) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Airborne Particulate Matter Health Effects , Air , Land and Waste Management , P3 Awards , Environment

Objective:

The aim of this P3 project is to develop reusable face masks composed of antiviral electrospun nanofiber filters made from recycled polystyrene and 3D-printed mask frames. Plastic waste is a major municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States. Polystyrene is a common plastic waste found in Styrofoam and food packaging materials. These wastes are non-biodegradable and remain in the environment for hundreds of years, causing a huge impact on the environment and human health. The current project is designed to address pollution challenges by converting plastic waste into reusable antiviral face masks. Additionally, making face masks reusable will mitigate future potential pollution caused by disposable face masks. This research will benefit people not only by diverting waste from landfills but also by providing face masks that are more affordable and protective.

Progress Summary:

In the first year, we collected and characterized plastic waste from FIT campus events, developed a filtration efficiency tester, and fabricated antiviral nanofiber filters. Nanofiber filters containing 70% recycled polystyrene from disposable cups and 30% polyacrylonitrile were prepared with an electrospinning machine. Various amounts of Ag nanoparticles were added to impart antimicrobial properties. Our resultant nanofiber filter demonstrated strong antimicrobial properties and comparable filtration efficiency to ASTM Level 3 masks against 0.3 μm particles. After prolonged ethanol disinfection, the surface charges on all filters dropped significantly. As a result, filtration efficiency of surgical face masks and N95 dropped from 89% to 52% and from 98% to 55%, respectively. This indicates the risks of reusing these disposable face masks. In contrast, our nanofiber filter only exhibited a slight decrease. Overall, these findings demonstrate promising progress toward our goal of creating sustainable, antiviral, and reusable face masks containing a 3D printed frame embedded with a changeable nanofiber filter.

Future Activities:

For the remaining period, we will focus on developing antimicrobial filaments from face mask waste, designing and printing face mask frames, evaluating their performance and dissemination of our results.

(1) 3D printer filament fabrication: Shredded Face mask waste will be extruded into filaments using a filament recycler, during which antiviral agents will be added to prevent secondary infection from touching the contaminated mask frame surface. Their mechanical properties and antimicrobial properties will be evaluated.
(2) 3D face mask frame design and print: We will use the antiviral filaments to print mask frames. Different CAD designs will be produced and the one with the best fit will be selected.
(3) System-level evaluation: The final product will be a reusable 3D-printed face mask. We will use a Dynamic Breathing Headform to assess filtration efficiency. The results will be used to optimize the design of the 3D-printed mask frame. To demonstrate the performance of our face mask, system-level testing will also be conducted for commercial N95 and surgical face masks.
(4) Dissemination: We will utilize various methods to share results from this project. At the FIT community level, we will post our results on FIT websites, and the FIT newsletter, and host seminars during the FIT annual Sustainability Awareness Week. To reach a wider audience, the findings from this research will also be disseminated through publications, conferences, and the P3 expo.

Supplemental Keywords:

Waste to value, Nanotechnology, Design for the environment, Reusable face masks, Waste minimization

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Final