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UV-A pre-irradiation and shear stress enhanced microplastic fibre release from disposable surgical facemasks and its toxicity towards freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus
Summary
Disposable surgical face masks break down into tiny plastic fibers faster when exposed to sunlight and water movement, like what happens when they're littered outdoors or tossed in waterways, and these fibers get even smaller and more numerous with more sun exposure and turbulence. When researchers exposed freshwater algae (a key part of aquatic food chains) to these microplastic fibers, the algae showed signs of cell damage, suggesting that improperly discarded masks could pose a real risk to aquatic ecosystems, and potentially to human health through the food chain, water supply, and everyday exposure to these plastic particles.
The global use of disposable face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has surged to curb virus transmission, leading to increased production and a new environmental threat due to improper disposal. This study aimed to (i) UV-A irradiation of surgical facemasks for 5, 15, and 30 days, (ii) microplastic release from UV-treated and non-UV-treated masks under two different shear forces, i.e. 150 RPM and 400 RPM, respectively, (iii) quantify, characterise and analyse the released microplastics, and (iv) to access and examine the toxic potential of the microplastic fibres on model freshwater algae, Scenedesmus obliquus. The extracted microplastics, identified as polypropylene, varied in shape and ranged from 1 to 100 µm. The quantity of microplastic fibres released from UV-treated masks was significantly higher than that from non-UV-treated face masks, and high shear forces further accelerated fibre breakdown compared to low shear forces, leading to increased toxicity and oxidative stress in algal cells.