BIODEGRADATION OF AF MEDICAL WASTEPAPER PRODUCTS

IN THE PAST DECADE, WASTEPAPER RECYCLING HAS GAINED A WIDER ACCEPTANCE. DEPLETION OF TREE STOCKS, WASTE WATER TREATMENT DEMANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS HAVE DRIVEN RECYCLING BOTH IN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIAL SPHERES. USING GREATER QUANTITITES OF WASTEPAPER STOCK REDUCES THE NEED FOR VIRGIN FIBER AND MINIMIZES THE PROBLEM OF SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL. PRIOR TO RECYCLE, HOT WATER AND CHEMICALS SEPARATE AND DISPERSE THE FIBERS. THOSE MATERIALS WHICH ARE REMOVED WITH THE HOT WATER AND CHEMICAL TREATMENT INCLUDE: 1) DYES; 2) SIZE; 3) PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE AND UREA-FORMALDEHYDE; 4) AMINE-RESINS; 5) WAX, COUMARONE-INDENE RESINS AND POLYETHYLENE AND 6) ADHESIVE BINDERS. IN PRELIMINARY WORK, TECHNICAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INCORPORATED (TRA) HAS PERFORMED GROUNDWATER S TUDIES TO TEST THE BIODEGRADATION OF AIR FORCE SANITARY WASTEPAPER RES INS AND BINDERS WHICH MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE RECYCLE PROCESSING. THIS PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY THE PREFERRED OPERATING AND SUPPORT CONDITIONS; DETERMINE THE RATE AND EXTENT OF BIODEGRADABILITY; DETERMINE THE COMPOSITION AND AMOUNT OF WASTE PRODUCTS AND DESIGN AND DELIVER A PROTOTYPE PROCESS DESIGN.