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Abandoned disposable masks become hot substrates for plastisphere, whether in soil, atmosphere or water
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Disposable surgical masks tossed outdoors don't just break down, they become homes for microorganisms, including potentially harmful bacteria, and this happens fastest in water, followed by air, then soil. As these masks age and crack apart in the environment, they can carry and spread germs (and eventually microplastics) into waterways, soil, and air, which is worth knowing given how many masks were discarded during the pandemic.
A large number of surgical masks (SMs) to be discarded indiscriminately during the spread of COVID-19. The relationship between the changes of masks entering the environment and the succession of the microorganisms on them is not yet clear. The natural aging process of SMs in different environments (water, soil, and atmosphere) was simulated, the changes and succession of the microbial community on SMs with aging time were explored. The results showed that the SMs in water environment had the highest aging degree, followed by atmospheric environment, and SMs in soil had the lowest aging degree. The results of high-throughput sequencing demonstrated the load capacity of SMs for microorganisms, showed the important role of environment in determining microbial species on SMs. According to the relative abundance of microorganisms, it is found that compared with the water environment, the microbial community on SMs in water is dominated by rare species. While in soil, in addition to rare species, there are a lot of swinging strains on the SMs. Uncovering the ageing of SMs in the environment and its association with the colonization of microorganisms will help us understand the potential of microorganisms, especially pathogenic bacteria, to survive and migrate on SMs.
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Neglected microplastics pollution in global COVID-19: Disposable surgical masks
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Researchers found that disposable surgical masks release approximately 360 microplastic particles in still water, with the number increasing significantly under agitation or when exposed to detergents and alcohol. After just two months of natural weathering, the masks became fragile enough to potentially release billions of microplastic fibers upon entering water. The study highlights that pandemic-related mask waste represents a substantial and largely overlooked new source of microplastic pollution.
Significant Fragmentation of Disposable Surgical Masks—Enormous Source for Problematic Micro/Nanoplastics Pollution in the Environment
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Researchers found that improperly discarded disposable surgical masks lose up to 30% of their mass within one month outdoors, releasing micro- and nanoplastic particles from all five mask components through photodegradation and leaching into aquatic environments.
[Microbial Ecology in the Mask-derived Plastisphere in a Water Environment].
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Researchers studied the microbial ecology of plastisphere communities forming on different layers of discarded face masks in aquatic environments over time. Each mask layer harbored a unique microbial community with increasing richness over time; functional analysis revealed pathogenic, phototrophic, and compound-degrading capabilities, as well as roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling, indicating ecological significance of mask-derived plastisphere.
Used disposable face masks are significant sources of microplastics to environment
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Researchers evaluated whether disposable face masks release microplastics into water and found that used masks released significantly more particles than new ones, increasing from about 183 particles per piece for new masks to much higher levels after use. The study suggests that the massive increase in disposable mask consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic has made improperly discarded masks a significant new source of microplastic pollution.
Bacterial pathogens associated with the plastisphere of surgical face masks and their dispersion potential in the coastal marine environment
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Researchers deployed face masks in coastal seawater for two months and used advanced DNA sequencing to identify bacterial pathogens colonizing the plastic surfaces. The study found that face masks selectively enriched certain putative pathogens rarely found in surrounding seawater and released considerable microfibers during degradation, suggesting that pandemic-related mask waste in oceans may serve as vectors for transporting harmful bacteria across marine environments.
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