Researchers at Northeastern University found that materials used in transient electronics—devices meant to biodegrade after use—can degrade into microplastics, raising concerns about how fully these devices actually dissolve over time.
According to Ravinder Dahiya, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University and a lead author of the study, a widely used polymer called PEDOT:PSS—common in medical devices—can remain in the environment for over eight years, and its breakdown may produce microplastic particles.
Dahiya focuses on finding ways to stop electronic systems from becoming long-term e-waste.
In a study published this year in npj Flexible Electronics, Dahiya and Sofia Sandhu, a former postdoctoral researcher in his lab, examined how biodegradable two transient electronic devices were: a partially degradable pressure sensor and a fully degradable photodetector.
Material Selection and its Environmental Impact
Their findings emphasized how crucial careful material selection is in developing these technologies. While polymers like cellulose and silk fibroin degrade quickly and produce environmentally safe byproducts, other materials—such as PEDOT:PSS—can pose significant environmental risks.
Dahiya stressed that we must carefully evaluate materials, noting that people often discard electronics into soil at the end of their life. He noted that it is essential to determine whether degrading electronic components improve soil quality, leave it unchanged, or cause lasting harm—since some materials may permanently damage soil, creating serious environmental and health concerns.
Meanwhile, Monika Swami, a doctoral researcher in Dahiya’s lab, is leading a new degradation study aimed at better understanding how polymers and polymer-based devices break down in soil and what byproducts they produce. She focuses on measuring carbon dioxide output, which helps determine how quickly the materials degrade.
She explained that the team is currently conducting a six-month degradation test to determine how long these materials take to fully decompose and to measure the maximum amount of CO₂ released from the organic compounds.
Market Expansion and Production Challenges
Dahiya noted that transient electronics have become increasingly popular over the last decade, especially for medical applications such as edible devices and dissolvable sutures, and interest in the field continues to rise.
According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global market for biodegradable electronic polymers was valued at about $126.47 million in 2024 and is expected to grow to $246 million by 2033.
Beyond material selection, Dahiya is also examining the environmental impact of how these devices are manufactured.
He pointed out that electronics production worldwide is highly resource-intensive and follows a mostly linear model—produce, use, and discard—which is not environmentally sustainable.
Dahiya explained that producing a single silicon wafer, a key component in computer chips, can use up to 6,000 liters of water along with various harmful chemicals.
He added, “Manufacturers process millions of wafers daily, consume enormous amounts of water, and release the chemical mixture as wastewater.”
With global water scarcity already a concern—and 40% of current semiconductor manufacturing facilities located in watersheds projected to face “severe water stress risks” by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum—Dahiya emphasized that manufacturers need to focus on reducing water usage, not increasing it.
Prospects for Eco-Friendly Electronics
Dahiya suggested that manufacturers adopt a more sustainable approach by using a circular system, reusing discarded materials in production and designing devices that biodegrade, naturally enriching soil or dissolving in water.
He added, “Our long-term aim is to replace all conventional materials with eco-friendly alternatives and ultimately create electronics that eliminate the need for electronic waste management altogether.”
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
Read more: Perovskite Solar Cells Keep 90% of Their Efficiency at 90°C Thanks To Ionic Liquids