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Facemask: Protection or threat?
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Researchers counted nearly 300 discarded face masks littering popular beaches in the Philippines, finding surgical masks were by far the most common type left behind. While masks helped protect people from COVID-19, this study is a reminder that improperly discarded masks are adding to plastic pollution on our coastlines, plastic that can break down into microplastics and eventually make its way into the food chain and water we consume.
Facemasks were widely used as a protection against SARS-COV-2, which significantly reduced COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic. However, concerns have been raised regarding its adverse impacts on human health due to intense use and mismanagement. Although rampant plastic littering was the norm before the pandemic, the magnitude of the problem is worsening as potentially COVID-19-infected facemasks are thrown along the shoreline. This study assessed the discarded facemasks on the most popular beach destinations in Mati City, Davao Oriental, Philippines. A total of N = 284 discarded facemasks were found in a cumulative area of 22,500 m2, with an average density of 8.4 × 10-4 items/m2. The surgical facemask (82 %; n = 234) was the most abundant type of facemask found in the areas, followed by KF94 (16 %; n = 45) and KN95 (2 %; n = 5). The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences in the visual counts of facemasks on the three beaches (p < 0.05).
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This review examines how single-use face masks — billions of which were discarded during the COVID-19 pandemic — contribute to microplastic and microfiber pollution in marine environments when improperly disposed of. The pandemic created a massive new source of plastic pollution, with masks breaking down into microplastics and releasing chemical contaminants in the ocean.
Face masks: a COVID-19 protector or environmental contaminant?
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This review examined how the massive global use of disposable face masks during COVID-19 has created a significant source of microplastic pollution, with billions of masks entering the environment and releasing plastic fibers and chemical contaminants.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution driven by COVID-19 pandemic in Marina Beach, the longest urban beach in Asia: Abundance, distribution, and analytical characterization.
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This study surveyed COVID-19 personal protective equipment littered on Marina Beach in India, finding over 1,150 items with face masks making up the vast majority. The authors measured the chemical composition of the discarded PPE and raised concerns about masks becoming a significant new source of microplastic pollution as they degrade in coastal environments.
Masks and the scourge of microplastic pollution
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This commentary discusses how the widespread use of disposable face masks during COVID-19 has become a significant source of microplastic pollution, particularly from masks improperly discarded outside of hospital settings. The authors call attention to the environmental burden of mask litter as a growing global concern.
From Protection to Pollution: The Impact of Mask Use on Micro(nano)plastic Release
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This bibliographic review found that global mask consumption during COVID-19 reached as high as 2.5 trillion single-use masks per month, with Asia as the largest consumer, and documented how improper mask disposal releases microplastics and nanoplastics into terrestrial and aquatic environments.
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