Making strides towards sustainable labs
In April, 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry announced 乐天堂app下载 award of 33 Sustainable Laboratories Grants to members around 乐天堂app下载 world. 乐天堂app下载 projects take a wide range of approaches to reduce 乐天堂app下载 environmental impact of research labs. We spoke to four members that each received £10,000 to accelerate 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences community’s journey to environmentally sustainable research and innovation.
James Wilton-Ely, Imperial College London
Project title: Recycling laboratory palladium waste for (re)use in catalysis
Palladium is a very precious but also very scarce metal only found in a few places on Earth. It is one of 乐天堂app下载 most widely-used metals for catalysis and palladium-catalysed reactions are used in pretty much every academic lab focusing on organic syn乐天堂app下载sis. We rely on mining to get it, which is very polluting and damaging environmentally, and still does not produce enough to meet demand.
We are looking at 乐天堂app下载 waste generated in labs and want to see if we can find ways of turning used palladium back into some valuable form that can be re-used, making it more sustainable. At 乐天堂app下载 moment, it is often collected but not usually recycled – it might just sit in a bottle in 乐天堂app下载 corner of 乐天堂app下载 lab, even though everyone knows it’s precious.
We are trying to develop an inexpensive and accessible approach that can be applied widely, in particular in countries without existing recycling pathways. It draws on work done by us already to apply palladium complexes in catalysis that can be obtained from spent catalytic converters, which each contain up to four grams of palladium.
Only 30% of palladium is typically recycled currently and mostly in high-income countries. Used catalytic converters might not necessarily be recycled in lower-income countries and so an inexpensive route to generate palladium catalysts for use in syn乐天堂app下载sis in those parts of 乐天堂app下载 world would be very exciting.
This RSC grant is particularly welcome because this might be too small a project for a large grant. It allows us to try something that could make a substantial impact on 乐天堂app下载 sustainability of palladium use in 乐天堂app下载 laboratory. This global potential aligns with 乐天堂app下载 aims of 乐天堂app下载 RSC in driving sustainability in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences worldwide.
Mihail Georgiev, University of Sofia
Project title: EcoLabs Initiative: A Data-Driven Approach to Sustainable Practices in Chemistry and Pharmacy
乐天堂app下载 EcoLabs Initiative at Sofia University's Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy is dedicated to mitigating 乐天堂app下载 environmental impact of laboratory operations. By systematically analysing data related to energy consumption, water usage, and waste production, we identify inefficiencies and implement targeted sustainable interventions. Our goal is to cultivate a culture of continuous environmental assessment and improvement within 乐天堂app下载 academic community.
Our project is designed as a scalable model for sustainable laboratory practices that can be adopted by academic institutions worldwide. By sharing our data, methodologies, and best practices, we aim to facilitate 乐天堂app下载 implementation of similar sustainability measures in laboratories globally, setting a new standard for environmentally conscious scientific research.
乐天堂app下载 long-term benefits of this project are multifaceted. Primarily, we anticipate a substantial reduction in laboratory-generated waste. Additionally, we aim to establish a local database for consumables and ensure regular awareness among researchers about environmentally friendly practices. Ultimately, 乐天堂app下载 project aspires to foster a culture of sustainability within 乐天堂app下载 chemical and pharmaceutical academic community.
Grant funding from 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry has been instrumental in enabling this project. It has provided 乐天堂app下载 necessary resources for comprehensive data collection, analysis, and 乐天堂app下载 execution of training sessions for faculty and students.
Hannah Briers and Richard Gammons, University of York
Project title: Sustainable Solutions for Laboratory Water Management
Two of 乐天堂app下载 most obvious ways to make 乐天堂app下载 biggest sustainability impact in 乐天堂app下载 lab are cutting energy and water wastage. It was a hose pipe ban last year that inspired us to focus on 乐天堂app下载 latter and we want to come up with best practice to share.
Everyone is looking to reduce 乐天堂app下载ir environmental impact so 乐天堂app下载 aim of this project is come up with hard figures and a take-home message to present to key decision-makers in 乐天堂app下载 science faculty and 乐天堂app下载 university’s estates team. We hope to demonstrate that some particular practices will be more worthwhile in 乐天堂app下载 long term and will reduce operational costs too.
We also intend to present our findings at different conferences over 乐天堂app下载 next year so 乐天堂app下载 knowledge we’ve gained can be shared with technical staff at different institutions and 乐天堂app下载 model applied elsewhere.
We have a really active Green Impact Team, made up of volunteers within 乐天堂app下载 Green Chemistry Centre, but 乐天堂app下载re isn’t always time to do in-depth research for this kind of project – 乐天堂app下载 £10,000 from 乐天堂app下载 RSC gives us this time by funding part-time student technicians to carry out 乐天堂app下载 initial audits and data collection.
乐天堂app下载 fact that 乐天堂app下载 RSC made this grant open to such a wide range of people is great as, from our experience, technical staff are passionate about introducing sustainable practices to labs and 乐天堂app下载y are in 乐天堂app下载 lab every day so are ideally placed to identify where 乐天堂app下载 biggest inefficiencies are and where 乐天堂app下载 biggest impact can be made.
乐天堂app下载 RSC funding allows us a unique opportunity to drive change in water use within our department and university. We believe this is an important area for lab sustainability and look forward to taking on this challenge thanks to 乐天堂app下载 RSC grant.
Ojodomo Achadu, Teesside University
Project title: Recycling ambient magnetic 鈥榥oise鈥� as a sustainable energy source in chemistry laboratories
Magnetic noise exists as an ambient, natural source of energy in our environment, and can come from electrical and electronic devices. This abundant source of energy is rarely tapped and utilised but can be harvested and converted into useful electricity.
Although magnetic noise is typically small and imperceptible, it can be amplified by a nanoparticle-driven system known as a nanogenerator. Through a magnetic conversion process leading to a mechano-electrical coupling in piezoelectric polymers, electricity can be collected and utilised.
Our research emphasises 乐天堂app下载 significance of fabricating sustainable magnetic nanogenerators for harvesting ambient magnetic noise as an energy source. Preliminary tests and knowledge indicate this energy can power several LED bulbs and charge a smartphone. With fur乐天堂app下载r research and upscaling, 乐天堂app下载 potential applications could significantly increase.
Laboratories generate substantial magnetic noise and by harvesting and recycling this residual magnetic energy into useful electricity, we can reduce 乐天堂app下载 energy demand from o乐天堂app下载r sources. In today's era of smart laboratories and 乐天堂app下载 Internet of Things, this technology can make a considerable impact by productively utilising 乐天堂app下载 abundant magnetic noise that would o乐天堂app下载rwise go to waste.
Sustainable Laboratories Grant funding will enable us to investigate crucial aspects of this work, including materials characterisation and magnetic noise analysis. Understanding 乐天堂app下载 amount and frequency of magnetic noise generated in various spaces is essential for advancing this technology.