{"id":2048,"date":"2010-02-01T11:21:54","date_gmt":"2010-02-01T10:21:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bzl-gmbh.de\/?p=2048"},"modified":"2020-09-16T12:02:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-16T10:02:47","slug":"hazardous-substances-in-the-circular-economy-iii-photovoltaic-cells-based-on-cadmium-telluride-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bzl-gmbh.de\/en\/hazardous-substances-in-the-circular-economy-iii-photovoltaic-cells-based-on-cadmium-telluride-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"Hazardous substances in the “circular economy”: III. Photovoltaic cells based on cadmium telluride (in German)"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

February 2019\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The concept of “Circular Economy” aims at maximizing re-use or recycling of products and materials from the technosphere. Hazardous compounds are among the most prominent obstacles towards this goal. Cadmium (Cd) belongs to the group of strictly regulated hazardous elements. In this paper, we collect the available knowledge about the fate of products and materials containing Cd and its compounds and investigate Cd streams entering the waste management sector. In Part I we dealt with Ni\/Cd batteries and in Part II with PVC window profiles. Part III is dedicated to the use of Cd in PV modules. With regard to the three exemplary applications of Cd, it can be shown that the rather decreasing use of Cd with the simultaneous occurrence of additional primary quantities as a by-product of the production especially of zinc, but of lead and copper, too, requires a global strategy for dealing with this heavy metal.<\/p>\n