Medical use for old TVs

Waste material from discarded televisions could be recycled and used in medicine, according to researchers at the University of York.

The chemical compound polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) is widely used in industry and is a key element of television sets with liquid crystal display (LCD) technology.

When these sets are thrown away, the LCD panels are usually incinerated or buried in landfill sites.

But now, the UK researchers have found a way of recovering PVA from television screens and transforming it into a substance that could be suitable for use in tissue scaffolds, which help parts of the body regenerate.

It could also be used in pills and dressings that are designed to deliver drugs to particular parts of the body.

The research was carried out by academics in the university’s Department of Chemistry, which is home to the York Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence and the York Liquid Crystal Group.