title: Medical waste to energy: experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although waste is traditionally assessed as a pollutant which needs to be reduced or lessened, its management is certainly necessary. Nowadays, biological fuel cells, through the direct conversion of organic matter to electricity using biocatalysts, represent a technology able to produce sustainable energy by means of waste treatment. This study aims to propose a mean to generate energy from blood and saliva, that are common risk-infectious medical waste.
  
  
  METHODS
  Material employed (purchased by Sigma-Aldrich) were: Glucose oxidase (GOx), Nafion perfluorinated resin solution at 5% in a mixture of lower aliphatic alcohols and water, Polyethylene oxide. Stock solutions of D (+) glucose were prepared in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution and stored at 4 °C for at least 24 h before use. Carbon cloth electrode ELAT HT 140 E-W with a platinum loading of 5 gm-2 was purchased by E-Tek. Electrospun Nafion fibers were obtained as follows. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the electrode morphologies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In order to develop an effective immobilization strategy of GOx on the electrode surface, Nafion fibers (a fully fluorinated ion conducting polymer used as a membrane material in enzymatic fuel cells - EFC) were selected as immobilizing polymer matrix. In this work, exploiting the nafion fibers capability of being able to cathalize Gox activity, we have tried to produce an enzymatic fuel cell which could produce energy from the blood and the saliva within medical-dental waste.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical waste refers to all those materials produced by the interaction among doctor and patient, such as blood and saliva. During our research we will try to complete an EFC prototype able to produce energy from blood and saliva inside the risk-infectious medical waste in order to contribute to the energy requirements of a consulting room.
authors: MD, DDS, Resident Professor in Periodontics. Director and Chief UOCC Odontostomatology "S. Giovanni Calibita-Fatebenefratelli" Hospital. Co-Director PhD Programm in "Material for Health, Environment and Energy" University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Arcuri
authors: DDS, PhD Student Program in "Material for Health, Environment and Energy" University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Luciani
authors: DDS, PhD Student Program in "Material for Health, Environment and Energy" University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Piva
authors: DDS, PhD Student Program in "Material for Health, Environment and Energy" University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: F N
authors: FN
authors: Bartuli
authors: DDS, Foundation, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" - Department of Clinical Science and Translational Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Ottria
authors: Department Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Mecheri
authors: Director, Department Chemical Science and Technology. Director PhD Program in "Material for Health, Environment and Energy" University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Licoccia
keywords: electrospun nafion fibers; enzymatic fuel cells; medical waste