Initial metal contents and leaching rate constants of metals leached from end-of-life solar photovoltaic waste: An integrative literature review and analysis

Preeti Nain and Arun Kumar

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020, vol. 119, issue C

Abstract: The photovoltaic (PV) technology is one of the fastest growing renewable and environmental friendly sources of electricity. However, this huge deployment rate is associated with generation of end-of-life (EoL) PV waste containing particularly, carcinogenic metals, once their operation phase ends. This study attempted to address this upcoming waste issue by systematically reviewing about 300 review/theoretical/case/research papers/books/patents published between 2000 and 2018. The information was compiled and synthesized on: (i) initial metal concentration/content (IMC) for silicon-PV, amorphous-PV, CIGS and CdTe PVs; ii) statistical characterisation and distribution of compiled IMCs; iii) leached metal concentrations (mg/l) from various PVs in water-based leaching solutions, as per standard waste characterisation methods, in acid leaching and landfill matrix; iv) metal leaching rate constants (LRC) by fitting exponential model on reported plots of leached metal concentration values versus time using the GetData software; v) feasible application of compiled IMC and LRC data for: a) Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) determination of an MSW landfill dumped with solar-PV waste, b) human health risk assessment (HHRA) for exposure to lead leached from solar PV waste in an MSW landfill; vi) data/knowledge gaps from literature review and highlight the required future research actions.

Keywords: Solar photovoltaic waste; Carcinogenic metals; Initial metal content; Leachate rate constants; End-of-life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032119308007
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:119:y:2020:i:c:s1364032119308007

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109592

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().