Sustainable copper extraction from printed circuit boards through urban mining: Evaluating environmental impact assessment

Nur Layli, Wirman and Kousalya, Subramaniam and Punitha Malar, Ravi and Fatin Zafirah, Mansur and Noor Intan Shafinas, Muhammad (2025) Sustainable copper extraction from printed circuit boards through urban mining: Evaluating environmental impact assessment. In: AIP Conference Proceedings. AIP Conference Proceedings; 3rd Process Systems Engineering & Safety (Proses) Symposium 2023 , 6 September 2023 , Kuantan, Pahang. pp. 1-9., 3266 (030009). ISSN 0094-243X (Published)

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Abstract

The rapid advancement of electronic devices has a remarkable technological progress, but it has also resulted in a significant surge in electronic waste (e-waste) generation, becoming a pressing concern for global and local communities. It’s fortunate that electronic waste contains a high number of precious metals, making it a valuable resource for recovery. This study focuses on extracting copper from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) using an urban mining approach, with a specific emphasis on assessing its environmental impact through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. The primary objective is to achieve a high yield of copper extraction by manipulating variables during the experimentation phase. The experimental results revealed an optimal copper yield of 85%, achieved with a 3-hour reaction time and a current of 1.0 mA. Furthermore, the comprehensive environmental assessment demonstrated that green electrolysis used in the extraction process imposes significantly less impact compared to conventional mining practices across various environmental aspects, including Global Warming Potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication, ozone depletion air, ecotoxicity, human health particulate air, human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer), and the consumption of fossil fuels and smog air. These findings highlight the importance of adopting environmentally friendly approaches, such as green electrolysis, to retrieve valuable resources like copper.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs); Urban Mining; Environmental
Subjects:	T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
Faculty/Division:	Faculty of Civil Engineering Technology
Depositing User:	Dr Noor Intan Shafinas Muhammad
Date Deposited:	03 Feb 2025 08:25
Last Modified:	03 Feb 2025 08:25
URI:	http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/43715
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