Once thrown away, disposable items such as diapers and sanitary pads can take hundreds of years to decompose, because their absorbent parts and waterproof layers contain plastics and other synthetic polymers. But now, researchers ...
Biochemistry
Mar 19, 2024
0
12
More than 100,000 tons of diapers are disposed of annually in Germany. Vast amounts of valuable resources, such as diaper liners, end up in the trash. The liners consist of special polymers, so-called superabsorbers.
Polymers
Oct 25, 2023
0
22
While activated carbon is used in kitchen fans to eliminate food odors, a new dissertation from the University of Gothenburg shows that activated carbon could also eliminate the smell of urine from diapers. Experiments with ...
Analytical Chemistry
Sep 22, 2022
0
18
More sustainable diapers are one possible use for a new bio-based material that researchers in Sweden are developing. The superabsorbent material is made with wheat gluten proteins from wheat starch processing, without directly ...
Materials Science
Oct 8, 2020
0
93
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu has announced plans to ban disposable diapers in a move it says will significantly reduce pollution.
Environment
Feb 21, 2019
1
153
Catching cancer early can make all the difference for successful treatment. A common screening practice measures tumor growth with X-ray computed tomography (CT), which takes a series of cross-section images of the body.
General Physics
Nov 21, 2017
0
5
When you've got to go, but you're out there in space, zipped up in a spacesuit, with no toilet in sight and a crew of other astronauts around, what do you do?
Space Exploration
Nov 23, 2016
8
791
Mexico is the third largest consumer of disposable diapers globally, which led a Mexican scientist to design a technology capable of degrading the product materials by the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus.
Plants & Animals
Sep 3, 2014
0
0
Most consumers think of Amazon.com as an online bookseller or, increasingly, as a digital marketplace where they can buy everything from diapers to giant flat-panel TVs.
Business
Nov 20, 2013
0
0
(Phys.org)—Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have discovered an antibacterial polymer that can be used in everyday products such as sportswear, diapers and bandages, without causing resistant ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 14, 2013
0
0
A nappy (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries) or a diaper (in North America) is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver. Failure to change a diaper on a regular enough basis can result in diaper rash.
Diapers have been worn throughout human history. They are made of cloth or disposable materials. Cloth diapers are composed of layers of fabric such as cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber and can be washed and reused multiple times. Disposable diapers contain absorbent chemicals and are thrown away after use. The decision to use cloth or disposable diapers is a controversial one, owing to issues ranging from convenience, health, cost, and their effect on the environment. Plastic pants can be worn over diapers to avoid leaks, but with modern cloth diapers, this is no longer necessary.
Diapers are primarily worn by children who are not yet potty trained or experience bedwetting. However, they can also be used by adults with incontinence or in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable. These can include the elderly, those with a physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions such as astronauts. It is not uncommon for people to wear diapers under dry suits. Diapers are usually worn out of necessity rather than choice, although there are exceptions; people such as infantilists and diaper fetishists wear diapers recreationally for comfort, emotional fulfillment, or sexual gratification. Terms such as "incontinence pads" can be used to refer to adult diapers.
An alternative to infant diapers is the infant potty training method or elimination communication, a technique that involves sound association, learning an infant’s body language, and reacting quickly enough to reach a suitable spot for elimination. This method is more commonly used in third-world countries whose citizens do not possess the financial means to purchase baby diapers.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
