TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The constituent material comprises: a heavy metal; a semiconductor absorber layer on a semiconductor window layer; and a cadmium telluride layer on a cadmium sulfide layer. The heavy metal comprises cadmium. The remediation agent comprises a precipitating agent, a complexing agent, a sorbent, or a stabilization agent. The precipitating agent comprises a material comprising sulfide, hydroxide, carbonate, phosphate or silicate, preferably a calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, calcium phosphate, or calcium sulfide. The sorbent comprises a material comprising zeolites, metal oxides, zero valent iron, carbon, tannin-rich materials, modified natural fibers or modified synthetic fibers. The sorbent comprises an apatite, a clay or an oxide. The stabilization agent comprises a cementious material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The complexing agent comprises a nitrogen-containing group, a sulfur-containing group, a phosphorus-containing group, an acid, or a carbonyl group, preferably EDTA, cysteine, xanthates, trimercaptotriazine, an ion exchange resin, beads or membrane.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The step of forming a hydrophilic material comprises: contacting the hydrophilic material to the constituent material; encapsulating the remediation agent within the hydrophilic material; depositing the hydrophilic material in the laser scribes of a heavy metal; spin coating; placing a free-standing film; placing an extruded film; and dispersing the hydrophilic material throughout an interlayer near a polymer-metal interface. Preferred Components: The hydrophilic material comprises a polyethylene oxide/polyethylene glycol. The hydrophilic material comprises a resin, and a polymer. The polymer comprises an oxide, a glycol, a methoxypolyethylene oxide and/or a dimethyl ether of polyethylene oxide. The hydrophilic material is part of a base chain of a polymeric adhesive or interlayer material. The method further comprises laminating at least one layer, where the photovoltaic module comprises the layers.