Where Engineering & Chemistry Intersect for Broader Impact

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28 of nurses had been forced to reuse disposable N95 masks while treating infected patients. [26] In Florida, some hospitals are handing out only loose-fitting surgical masks to workers treating newly admitted patients who may be asymptomatic carriers. At GetUsPPE, a volunteer organization that helps health care facilities and workers find protective gear, demand has been rising sharply in states experiencing a surge of infections. In June, the amount of PPE requested from medical providers in Iowa jumped 440 percent from the previous month, along with more than 200 percent increases in Texas and Louisiana. [27] According to Johns Hopkins University as of August 2020, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide is inching towards 15 million with more than 500,000 deaths. [28] The situation is worsening, as the number of cases among frontline healthcare workers is also steadily rising. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) estimates that around 90,000 health workers have been infected by the coronavirus, and over 260 nurses have died because of the pandemic. [29] This crisis, therefore, has heightened the need for PPE such as gowns, face masks, and goggles. The World Health Organization responded by urging governments and manufacturers in February 2020 to ramp up their PPE production by 40%. As the spread of COVID-19 intensifies, the demand for PPE is likely to remain sky-high for the remainder of the pandemic. The fear of equipment shortages comes as other issues that plagued the country’s early response to the pandemic return: surging cases, overwhelmed hospitals, lagging testing, and contradictory public health messages. The inability to secure PPE is especially frustrating, health-care workers say, because it is their main defense against catching the virus. WHERE ENGINEERING & CHEMISTRY INTERSECT FOR BROADER IMPACT NGUYEN, KATIE
29 In 2020, nurses posted online testimonials about a lack of PPE, with some given surgical masks instead of N95 masks because of shortages. [30] Hospital executives in Houston — where case numbers continue to break records — have said they have enough PPE for now but expressed worries of running out if cases continue to spike. Demand for protective equipment has soared, but unlike in March, when efforts focused on getting PPE for major hospitals — especially in New York, Detroit and Chicago — supplies now are desperately needed in primary care offices, nursing homes, prisons and psychiatric and disability facilities. As many states continue to reopen their economies, demand has also surged from the construction industry and other sectors. As a result, prices have skyrocketed. Some hospitals say much of the PPE they have acquired has been exorbitantly priced. At a legislative hearing, a hospital association executive detailed how one Maryland hospital that spent $600,000 on PPE last year expects to spend $10 million this year. The struggles have been especially acute for small, rural providers, who can’t compete with bigger health systems’ bigger budgets and larger-scale orders, experts say. [30] Outside the medical sphere in homes, offices, schools, and industry to help reduce the spread of the virus, social distancing rules were introduced with an increase in hand sanitizer and disposable polyethylene (PE) gloves use. Considering those who are recovering at home or are asymptomatic, people are generating plenty of infected trash. For those working in the sanitation industry, it poses a worry as the virus can persist up to a day on cardboard, but up to 72 hours on plastic. [31] Additionally, massive amounts of PPE like masks and gloves clog sidewalk drains and are washing into waterways. [32] WHERE ENGINEERING & CHEMISTRY INTERSECT FOR BROADER IMPACT NGUYEN, KATIE
Page 2 and 3: 2 “As a chemist, I have the capab
Page 4 and 5: 4 Table of Contents Table of Figure
Page 6 and 7: 6 Executive Summary In the Hunter a
Page 8 and 9: 8 Global Plastic Waste The increasi
Page 10 and 11: 10 inadequate incineration or the i
Page 12 and 13: 12 Figure 2: Environmental activist
Page 14 and 15: 14 Biodegradable Plastics Industry
Page 16 and 17: 16 the major players in the global
Page 18 and 19: 18 industry will continue to requir
Page 20 and 21: 20 experimenting with combining thi
Page 22 and 23: 22 Progress Summary - Fall 2020 Res
Page 24 and 25: 24 Further attention to degradation
Page 26 and 27: 26 Recommendations This analysis fi
Page 30 and 31: 30 Figure 11: PPE found on beaches
Page 32 and 33: 32 consumers are more likely to see
Page 34 and 35: 34 [9] Padmanabhan, K. & Barik, D.
Page 36 and 37: 36 from https://www.businesswire.co
Page 38 and 39: 38 from https://www.unenvironment.o

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