Endophthalmitis — a rare but dangerous complication of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections

Agents blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) — aflibercept, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab are commonly used drugs in the treatment of retinal vascular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusions and retinopathy of prematurity. To date, intravitreal injection is the only successful administration method of anti-VEGF agents. Each administration can potentially lead to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, intraocular pressure elevation, ocular hemorrhage, and endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis is a rare complication, occurring in 0.012–0.1% of cases of anti-VEGF injections. The most frequent isolated pathogens are Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus viridans — commensals of the human upper respiratory and oral flora. The main symptoms of endophthalmitis are pain and decreased visual acuity. Patients become symptomatic on average three days after the injection. Prevention of endophthalmitis includes sterilization of ocular surface with povidone-iodine, use of sterile gloves, use of eye speculum, and „no-talking” policy. Topical antibiotics are not routinely used as they can even increase the risk of post-injection endophthalmitis. It is essential to estimate the risk factors and prevention methods to reduce post-injection endophthalmitis rates in the future.

Recovery of Co, Li, and Ni from Spent Li-Ion Batteries by the Inorganic and/or Organic Reducer Assisted Leaching Method

The battery powder (anodic and cathodic mass) manually separated from spent Li-ion batteries used in laptops was subjected to acidic reductive leaching to recover the Co, Li, and Ni contained in it. In the laboratory experiments, 1.5 M sulfuric acid was used as the leaching agent and the reducing agents were 30% H2O2 solution or/and glutaric acid. Glutaric acid is a potential new reducing agent in the leaching process of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The influence of the type of the used reducer on obtained recovery degrees of Co, Li, and Ni as well as the synergism of the two tested reducing compounds were analyzed. As a result, it was determined that it is possible to efficiently hydrometallurgically separate Co, Li, and Ni from battery powder into solutions. The highest recovery degrees of the investigated metals (Co: 87.85%; Li: 99.91%; Ni: 91.46%) were obtained for samples where two reducers, perhydrol and glutaric acid, were added, thus confirming the assumed synergic action of H2O2 and C5H8O4 in a given reaction environment

Investigation of the Physico-Chemical Properties of the Products Obtained after Mixed Organic-Inorganic Leaching of Spent Li-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are currently one of the most important mobile energy storage units for portable electronics such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. Their widespread application leads to the generation of large amounts of waste, so their recycling plays an important role in environmental policy. In this work, the process of leaching with sulfuric acid for the recovery of metals from spent Li-ion batteries in the presence of glutaric acid and hydrogen peroxide as reducing agents is presented. Experimental results indicate that glutaric-acid application improves the leaching performance compared to the use of just hydrogen peroxide under the same conditions. Obtained samples of leaching residues after mixed inorganic-organic leaching were characterized with Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction

Waste management costs. A case-based study on selected Polish cities

This article attempts to find the strongest factors that impact waste management system costs. Case-based studies in three selected voivodeship Polish cities, Opole, Gdańsk, and Cracow found waste collection and transport, processing, and system management to be the dominant cost factors. The price of fuel, electricity and the rates of wages indirectly decide the determined management costs in the above-mentioned categories. The increase in waste management costs on a national scale observed in recent years is mainly from actions taken by companies to meet increasingly restrictive legal requirements. For example, the allowed time for waste storage has been shortened and the amount of environmental fees paid for waste landfilling has been increased. In addition, the obligation to watch the temporary storage and landfill as well as the implementation of fire protection rules. In the cities analyzed, the increase in waste management operating costs between 2017 and 2021 ranged from 41.3% for Gdańsk to 63.5% for Opole

Future Portable Li-Ion Cells’ Recycling Challenges in Poland

The paper presents the market of portable lithium-ion batteries in the European Union (EU) with particular emphasis on the stream of used Li-ion cells in Poland by 2030. In addition, the article draws attention to the fact that, despite a decade of efforts in Poland, it has not been possible to create an effective management system for waste batteries and accumulators that would include waste management (collection and selective sorting), waste disposal (a properly selected mechanical method) and component recovery technology for reuse (pyrometallurgical and/or hydrometallurgical methods). This paper also brings attention to the fact that this EU country with 38 million people does not have in its area a recycling process for used cells of the first type of zinc-carbon, zinc-manganese or zinc-air, as well as the secondary type of nickel-hydride and lithium-ion, which in the stream of chemical waste energy sources will be growing from year to year

The Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Effective Battery Life Cycle in the Closed Circular Economy Model—A Perspective

Global pollution of the environment is one of the most challenging environmental problems. Electronic-based population and anthropogenic activity are the main reasons for dramatically increasing the scale of waste generation, particularly battery waste. Improper battery waste disposal causes harmful environmental effects. Due to the release of heavy metals, battery waste affects ecosystems and health. We are faced with the challenge of effective battery waste management, especially recycling, to prevent the depletion of natural resources and maintain ecological balance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is practically present in all areas of our lives. It enables the reduction of the costs associated with various types of research, increases automation, and accelerates productivity. This paper reviews the representative research progress of effective Artificial Intelligence-based battery waste management in the context of sustainable development, in particular, the analysis of current trends, algorithm accuracy, and data availability. Finally, the future lines of research and development directions of human-oriented Artificial Intelligence applications both in the battery production process and in battery waste management are discussed

The Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Effective Battery Life Cycle in the Closed Circular Economy Model—A Perspective

Global pollution of the environment is one of the most challenging environmental problems. Electronic-based population and anthropogenic activity are the main reasons for dramatically increasing the scale of waste generation, particularly battery waste. Improper battery waste disposal causes harmful environmental effects. Due to the release of heavy metals, battery waste affects ecosystems and health. We are faced with the challenge of effective battery waste management, especially recycling, to prevent the depletion of natural resources and maintain ecological balance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is practically present in all areas of our lives. It enables the reduction of the costs associated with various types of research, increases automation, and accelerates productivity. This paper reviews the representative research progress of effective Artificial Intelligence-based battery waste management in the context of sustainable development, in particular, the analysis of current trends, algorithm accuracy, and data availability. Finally, the future lines of research and development directions of human-oriented Artificial Intelligence applications both in the battery production process and in battery waste management are discussed

Application of the Chemical Leaching Method for the Recovery of Li and Co Contained in Spent Li-Ion Batteries

Waste batteries and accumulators are a group of waste, the amount of which is constantly increasing every year. A particular weight gain of this type of waste is observed for lithium-ion batteries used in various electronic devices and modern passenger vehicles. Due to the complex chemical composition and the content of different valuable metals, used Li-ion batteries should be subjected to appropriate recycling methods, the purpose of which is to separate the individual raw materials included in the battery. Regarding the demand for innovative technologies for processing spent Li-ion batteries, a concept of laboratory experiments was developed in the field of hydrometallurgical recovery of Li and Co contained in the battery powder obtained from this type of waste. As a result, it was shown that it is possible to effectively recover the tested metals with an adequately designed leaching process

Waste Management for Green Concrete Solutions: A Concise Critical Review

Reinforced concrete based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is one of the most commonly used materials in modern buildings. Due to the global growth of the building industry, concrete components have been partially or completely replaced with waste materials that can be used as binders or aggregates. Besides the ecological aspects, modern architecture widely needs materials to make the concrete durable, resisting large loads and various detrimental forces in the environment. This opens the possibilities of managing waste materials and applying them in practice. This paper presents a concise review of the green solutions for ecofriendly materials in the building industry that deal with the practical application of materials commonly treated as waste. The main emphasis was placed on their influence on the properties of the building material, optimal composition of mixtures, and discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the “green” additives. It turned out that some solutions are far from being ecofriendly materials, as they leech and release numerous harmful chemicals into the environment during their presence in concrete. Finally, the paper suggests a research direction for the development of an ecofriendly structural material for a sustainable future

The Necessity of Recycling of Waste Li-Ion Batteries Used in Electric Vehicles as Objects Posing a Threat to Human Health and the Environment

The automotive industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the modern economy. Growing customer expectations, implementing solutions related to electromobility, and increasingly stringent legal restrictions in the field of environmental protection, determine the development and introduction of innovative technologies in the field of car production. To power the most modern vehicles that include electric and hybrid cars, packages of various types of lithium-ion cells are used, the number of which is constantly growing. After use, these batteries, due to their complex chemical composition, constitute hazardous waste that is difficult to manage and must be recycled in modern technological lines. The article presents the morphological characteristics of the currently used types of Li-ion cells, and the threats to the safety of people and the environment that may occur in the event of improper use of Li-ion batteries and accumulators have been identified and described on the basis of the Regulation of the European Parliament and Council (EC) No. 1272/2008 of 16 December 2008 and No. 1907/2006 of 18 December 2006 on the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures and the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH), establishing the European Chemicals Agency