การเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพการดำเนินงานทางสิ่งแวดล้อมของการผลิตถุงมือแพทย์โดยการประเมินวัฐจักรชีวิต

Abstract

This research used the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool to evaluate the environmental performance of Medical Glove Process by investigating the relationship between the subsystems of production and the effects of resources, energy and waste release. Results from the study can be used for seeking options for reducing the environmental impact. The functional unit was focused on one box of medical grove containing 100 pieces with 85#5 width 230 mm long. Cradle-to-Grave approach was used as the scope of this study, including from raw materials to the waste disposal. The data was collected by using the questionnaires and interviews to collect the primary and secondary data of the two rubber plantations, two latex factories and two medical gloves factories. The life cycle of medical glove was separated into 4 systems including the rubber planting system, latex production system, medical glove manufacturing system and medical glove removal system from a total of 28 activities. Five environmental impacts considered in this study included global warming, acidification, eutrophication, smog and human toxicity. The results indicated that medical glove production system have the highest contribution on environmental impact in the life cycle of one box medical gloves manufacturing comparing with other systems. The release of pollutants from electricity generation activity used electrical energy in line set of medical glove production caused the impact to global warming ratio of 96.24%, acidification ratio of 91.49%, smog ratio of 84.22% and human toxicity ratio of 89.51% by comparing with other activities in the life cycle of medical gloves production. Moreover, the manure fertilizer phosphorus (P) activities used as conditioner for the rubber trees in rubber trees growing systems caused the impact to eutrophication ratio of 43.51% by comparing with other activities in the life cycle of medical gloves production. Therefore, this evaluation the life cycle can offer the guidelines production improvement for reducing impact, which the manufactory should play an important role for reducing the use of electricity in the production process and fertilizer in the maintenance of rubber plantation. In addition, the results of this study can also be used in a planning decision of environmental operation for enhancing the production efficiencies -and environmental management of medical glove industry.