A sustainable approach on the utilisation of COVID-19 plastic based isolation gowns in structural concrete. (December 2022) - Kilmartin-Lynch, Shannon
Abstract: Single-use isolation gowns have become an important practice across medical centres, testing sites, and emergency rooms since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic; within the later months of 2019. Although reusable isolation gowns have proved beneficial, 80% of frontline centres opt for disposable isolation gowns, increasing the demand for plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPE) and the environmental strain from excess waste in landfills. This research aims to explore the practicability of using plastic-based isolation gowns in structural concrete to scale back the quantity of pandemic-generated waste ending up in landfills. The shredded isolation gowns were added to aggregates at 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.03% of the volume of concrete. The effects of various concentrations of shredded isolation gowns on the mechanical properties of the concrete were investigated through a series of experiments alongside an SEM-EDS analysis. Results demonstrate an enhanced bridging effect between the cement matrix and shredded isolation gowns, allowing for the steady trend of improved mechanical properties with increases of 15.5%, 20.6%, and 11.73% across compressive strength, flexural strength, and the modulus of elasticity, respectively. Graphical Abstract: ga1 Highlights: Application of waste PPE single-use isolation gowns in structural concrete. Shredded isolation gowns (SIG) show strong bond formation with the cement matrix. Compressive strength increased by 15.5% with 0.03% of shredded isolation gowns. Overall, the mechanical properties increased with the increase in SIG content.