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Cubrebocas, residuos en sitios turísticos de Nayarit, México.
Summary
Researchers collected discarded face mask waste at five tourist sites in Nayarit, Mexico over five months, finding higher quantities in urban areas and more adult-sized masks than child-sized ones. The study raises concern about face masks as a source of environmental plastic pollution, since the materials used in masks can degrade into microplastics.
La pandemia de COVID-19 trajo consigo uso de equipo de protección personal, principalmente cubrebocas. La gran cantidad de ellos que se utilizan diariamente y su inadecuada disposición final, los han convertido un problema ambiental. El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar la presencia de residuos de cubrebocas como contaminantes ambientales. Mediante la recolección de dichos residuos, en cinco sitios turísticos (urbanos, de playa y un lago) de Nayarit, México, durante cinco meses de los años 2021 y 2022. Se obtuvo mayor presencia de este tipo de residuos durante el año 2022. Prevalecieron más cubrebocas utilizados por adultos que por infantes. Finalmente, las zonas urbanas mostraron una mayor densidad de cubrebocas que el resto de las zonas analizadas. Se concluye que es necesario que se implementen medidas adecuadas para la correcta disposición de los residuos generados con la pandemia.
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