A review of toxicity assessment procedures of solar photovoltaic modules

Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Détails bibliographiques
Publié dans:Waste management (New York, N.Y.). - 1999. - 174(2024) vom: 15. Feb., Seite 646-665
Auteur principal: Li, Fang (Auteur)
Autres auteurs: Shaw, Stephanie, Libby, Cara, Preciado, Nini, Bicer, Bulent, Tamizhmani, Govindasamy
Format: Article en ligne
Langue:English
Publié: 2024
Accès à la collection:Waste management (New York, N.Y.)
Sujets:Review Journal Article Leachate PV RoHS Solar photovoltaic TCLP Toxicity WET Waste management plus... Metals Hazardous Substances
Description
Résumé:Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Environmental management of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is attracting attention as a growing number of field-operated PV modules approach end of life (EoL). PV modules may contain small amounts of toxic metals, and the procedures for assessing and regulating the toxic metal content and release of such materials at EoL differ widely across nations. This paper provides an overview of the metal composition of PV modules and common procedures for toxicity assessment through extensive research and review of technical literature and legislative documents. This review focuses on three primary aspects: first, it explores the distribution of toxic elements within current and emerging PV module designs, with a specific focus on obtaining representative samples for proportional toxicity testing within different module laminate areas. Second, it examines a sampling standard and the diverse toxicity testing methods and regulations employed in various regions, encompassing standards like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Test Method 1311 (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, TCLP) in the U.S., Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in Europe, and the Waste Extraction Test (WET) in California. Third, the review examines the sources of variability in toxicity testing outcomes, including techniques for securing homogeneous samples from non-uniform PV modules, selecting particle sizes representative of landfill conditions in extracted samples, determining appropriate leachate characteristics such as leaching agents and pH levels, and considering factors like test duration and temperatures. In summary, this review summarizes relevant regulations and offers a comprehensive overview of the strengths and limitations associated with several toxicity assessment procedures currently in practice
Description:Date Completed 16.01.2024
Date Revised 16.01.2024
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1879-2456
DOI:10.1016/j.wasman.2023.12.034