The Life cycle of a Toothbrush

Production

The brush's are created by various machinery in factories in which each piece of machinery has its own specialized role. The toothbrush brand will have dozens of arrays of machinery producing toothbrushes

The Life cycle of a Toothbrush

Step by Step Production

The Five Stages of the Life Cycle

The petroleum is extracted and is sent to a refinery and converted into ethylene and propylene. The ethylene and propylene is then combined with a catalyst to make a polymer which is then used to create plastic tubes by being fed through an extruder machine. The plastic's melted so that it's in liquid form, and then are mixed and shaped into pellets. When the plastic tubes are melted through an injection holder machine, toxins are released into the air, which are harmful to humans and the environment. Then the melted plastic is moved into a handle mold and is clamped together, and is formed, in which when the plastic cools it will take the shape of the plastic handle and will have the small holes (cores) where the nylon bristles will be inserted. Once the plastic had cooled and hardened, the clamps are removed and small pins within the machine push the handle out of the mold. The toothbrushes are then transported to the filling/tufting machine, in which the tufting machine quickly inserts the bristles into the toothbrush while stapling the stainless steel staples into nylon bristles to the plastic handle simultaneously. Afterwards, the toothbrushes are transported to a trimming machine, where the bristles on the toothbrush are sliced to the correct form and size for the design. The toothbrushes are then packaged into small cardboard/plastic containers which are already labeled with information about the toothbrush and the approvals from the national dental association based on the location of the company

• Environmental Impacts:

• All machines require energy to function, implying that the toothbrushes are energy intensive products

• The packaging utilizes paper and cardboard which thereofre utilize lots of natureal resources

• Both cardboard and paper are made from different types of wood pulp, cotton, etc.

• Extraction of wood highly contributes to deforestation and the loss of animal habitations, and the increase in global warming

• Extraction of wood also increases likeliness of flooding and other natural disasters

Effects of Benzene

Distribution

Extraction

Consumption

Production

Disposal

Benzene is a liquid that evaporates quickly and travels through the air, in which it can react with other chemicals to create smog. Although this could break down naturally, it could also merge with rain or snow and contaminate soil and water. Benzene is toxic, as many different types of aquatic life and plants alike have their growth slowed and may even die when being exposed to benzene. When these animals are exposed to benzene they may even prevent them from having babies. Benzene gas poisons the body, causing a person to produce less white blood cells in the bone marrow, and may cause anemia. Effects of exposure of benzene to humans consist of:

• Drowsiness

• Dizziness

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

• Headaches

• Tremors

• Confusion

• Unconsciousness

• Death (at very high levels)

The poisoning in the air for aquatic life, and human life negatively impact their wellfare which therefore affect the society in its entirety. It's extremely bad for the community as benzene can contaminate soil and water, therefore contaminating food and water. This means that when we eat and drink the water, we get poisoned as well!

By Rohan

Extraction (Plastic)

What is a toothbrush made of?

Distribution (Nylon)

The benzene is extracted from the oil wells and is transported to industrial facilities where it reacts with elements to create Adipic acid. The hexanediamine is created in an industrial facility and reacts with Adipic acid to create Nylon. The components of Nylon and Nylon itself are transported in a container of some sort in a car/truck/van, or if being transported overseas, planes/ships to the factory(ies) where they are assembled with the plastic and metal to create the toothbrushes. Job opportunities are created here as there are opportunities for shop clerks, factory workers and transport drivers. Also, the selling of the product (toothbrush) is good for the economy. Then consumers buy purchase them and utilize them until their use is over. Which is when the product is thrown away. Afterwards, the waste collectors take the trash and transport it to either an incinerator or a dump.

The transport of these products solely produce greenhouse gases that negatively impact the environment and contribute to global warming.

Polyethylene plastic is the most commonly used plastic for toothbrush handles in this day and time. Plastic (polyethylene) is made from petroleum.

-Plastic Handle

Distribution(Plastic)

-Nylon Bristles

Crude oil is extracted and transported to a refinery, in which petroleum is extracted from the crude oil and is then delivered to a plastic factory where plastic is created. Then the plastic will be transported to the facility where it will be assembled with the metal staples and the nylon bristles to make the toothbrush.

Distribution

(Metal Staples)

-Metal Staples

The chromium within the metal staples are mined and then transported to the industrial facility where it's altered to become stainless steel. Then the stainless steel is moulded into the metal staples and delivered to the industrical factory where the toothbrush is assembled. The toothbrush is then delivered to the shop and is sold to the consumer. Afterwards the metal is disposed along with the rest of the toothbrush it is sent to the dump. In some cases the metal is reused and is melted and re moulded. The transport utilizes greenhouse gas emissions to function which harms the evironment as previously stated.

Benzene

Benzene's largest origin is through oil and gas extraction, however it's found in few plants and animals. So in order to create Nylon, Benzene must be extracted from the earth, meaning that oil and gas must be extracted from the earth to sustain the production of Nylon, as the extraction of gases and oil are the largest source of benzene. The extraction of Benzene creates job opportunities which benefits the welfare of they employees, increasing their happiness, therefore benefitting the entirety of the society. Although this is necessary to sustain production of nylon, and supply for oil and gas, benzene has a large negative impact on the environment.

Extraction (Nylon)

How is Nylon made? It can be made from deritaves of coal, and a large variety of natural gases! It's created when an Adipic Acid reacts with Hexanediamine.

Adipic Acid

Hexanediamine

A Mildly toxic, white, crystaline powder

In some cases, when benzene reacts to oxygen and is set at a certain temperature, it creates cyclohexane which (when further oxidized), creates Adipic acid.

Hexanediamine is created when Hexamethylenediamine is oxidized. Hexanediamine is an industrial chemical.

Consumption

Petroleum

When the product is sold to a consumer, it's taken back home and utilized. How is it utilized? Firstly, the toothbrush is watered on, in which the nylon bristles are cleaned. After, toothpaste, a product sold seperately is applied onto the nylon bristles. Once the toothbrush is on the nylon bristles, the toothbrush is put into the consumer's mouth, in which the nylon bristles rub against the teeth. Brushing your teeth improves hygiene and benefits the wellfare of the society!

To get petroleum, mining must occur, and crude oil must be extracted, and the crude oil must be recovered and refined in which certain liquids can be extracted from the crude oil. Drilling/mining can cause crude oil spills, which exposes the humans and the atmosphere to the toxic chemicals consisting within crude oil, as crude oil evaporates quickly. In order to separate the crude oil into its individual components, it must be heated. When heated, harmful gases are released into the atmosphere that harm human health and contribute to global warming, such as petroleum.

Disposal

Metal Staples

Stainless steel wire is what the staples consist of. Stainless steel is an alloy made up of chromium, when it’s oxidized to a great extent, it reacts creating stainless steel. Chromium is extracted through mining. Mining cost energy and utilizes machinery. The Machinery emit greenhouse gases when utilized that harm the environment!

Bibliography

(1)http://schoolworkhelper.net/nylon-background-dangers-disposal/

(2)https://www.thechemco.com/chemical/adipic-acid/

(3)http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_eng/adipinsyra_eng.htm

(4)http://www.npi.gov.au/resource/benzene

(5)http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp

(6)http://www.ada.org/en/science-research/ada-seal-of-acceptance/product-category-information/toothbrushes

(7)http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/1_6-Hexanediamine

(8)http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Toothbrush.html

(9)http://www.ftpress.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1573021&seqNum=11

(10)http://www.rutlandplastics.co.uk/images/Moulding%20Machine%20lg.jpg

(11)http://www.idahoforests.org/paprmake.htm

(12)http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/dangers-of-plastic

(13)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel#Properties

(14)http://blog.1dental.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/toothbrush-bristles.jpg

(15) http://www.earth911.com/living-well-being/health/recycling-toothbrushes-and-toothpaste-tubes/

The toothbrush is sent to a facility where it's components are dissasseembled so they can be reused and recycled. However, in the majority of cases the toothbrush is sent to incinerators to be destroyed or garbage dumps where the toothbrushs rot.

Garbage Dumps/Incineration

In most cases, the toothbrushes are sent to garbage dumps or incinerators. At the Garbage dumps, the toothbrushes rot, as the plastic handle takes 30-40 years to biodegrade as does the Nylon. When the componenets are incinerated, chemical toxins are released into the environment which are poisonous to our health.

Conclusion

Recycling and Reusing

In conclusion, the toothbrush utilizes various resources during the entirety of its life cycle. It requires transport which utilizes fuel which emits greenhouse gases. This further contributes to global warming. Also it takes up resources for the components to be produced, (metal staples, plastic handles, nylon bristles). All products require certain resources, however all resources are extracted from the earth. This is just one mere toothbrush, so larger products must require more raw materials to function. This is only one example of how a simple product that we use impact the world. In order to save the world, we must begin to create change! Upcycling toothbrushes to make creative deigns are an example of a solution that can reduce the amount of waste consisting within the creation of toothbrushes. To

The components made form the toothbrush are recycled and reused. The Nylon is shredded and put through a similar process to that of the plastic, in which the nylon is shredded, cleaned and pelletized to be ready for recycling. The Metal StaplesDue to the fact that it’s made out of metals, It goes through standard processing in which it’s melted and reconstructed. The plastic will take a long time to biodegrade if put into a dump. Due to this the plastic is recycled in which it is shredded, melted and then pelletized to be reused.