We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
COVID-19's environmental impacts: Challenges and implications for the future
Summary
COVID-19's positive environmental effects (especially CO2 emission reductions) were temporary and only detected in 2020, while its negative impacts -- particularly medical waste containing antibiotic resistance genes, heavy metals, and microplastics -- represent lasting challenges. International aviation CO2 dropped 59% in 2020 but industry emissions fell only 3.16%.
Strict measures have curbed the spread of COVID-19, but waste generation and movement limitations have had an unintended impact on the environment over the past 3 years (2020-2022). Many studies have summarized the observed and potential environmental impacts associated with COVID-19, however, only a few have quantified and compared the effects of these unintended environmental impacts; moreover, whether COVID-19 policy stringency had the same effects on the main environmental topic (i.e., CO emissions) across the 3 years remains unclear. To answer these questions, we conducted a systematic review of the recent literature and analyzed the main findings. We found that the positive environmental effects of COVID-19 have received more attention than the negative ones (50.6 % versus 35.7 %), especially in emissions reduction (34 % of total literature). Medical waste (14.5 %) received the highest attention among the negative impacts. Although global emission reduction, especially in terms of CO, has received significant attention, the positive impacts were temporary and only detected in 2020. Strict COVID-19 policies had a more profound and significant effect on CO emissions in the aviation sector than in the power and industry sectors. For example, compared with 2019, international aviation related CO emissions dropped by 59 %, 49 %, and 25 % in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, while industry related ones dropped by only 3.16 % in 2020. According to our developed evaluation matrix, medical wastes and their associated effects, including the persistent pollution caused by antibiotic resistance genes, heavy metals and microplastics, are the main challenges post the pandemic, especially in China and India, which may counteract the temporary environmental benefits of COVID-19. Overall, the presented results demonstrate methods to quantify the environmental effects of COVID-19 and provide directions for policymakers to develop measures to address the associated environmental issues in the post-COVID-19 world.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
COVID-19, a double-edged sword for the environment: a review on the impacts of COVID-19 on the environment
This review assessed pandemic-related environmental impacts, finding that COVID-19 reduced air and water pollution temporarily through industrial slowdowns but simultaneously increased plastic waste, antibiotic release, and chemical contamination from disinfectants, producing a mixed and complex environmental legacy.
Covid-19 and the Environment: Challenges and Opportunities
This review examines both the environmental challenges and unexpected opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, including temporary reductions in air pollution alongside a surge in single-use plastic waste from masks and PPE. The pandemic highlighted trade-offs between public health measures and plastic pollution.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment, waste management, and energy sectors: a deeper look into the long-term impacts
This review examines the environmental consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that while short-term air quality improvements occurred during lockdowns, the long-term negative effects are far more significant. Researchers documented massive increases in single-use plastic waste from masks, gloves, and packaging, contributing substantially to microplastic pollution. The study highlights that the pandemic reversed progress on waste reduction and created new challenges for environmental management across waste, energy, and pollution sectors.
Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Environment and Proposals for Sustainable Strategies
This review examined the environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding significant improvements in air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and lower water pollution during lockdowns, alongside negative consequences including increased medical waste from masks, gloves, and disinfectant containers.
COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the environment: A global perspective
This global perspective reviews environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting sharp increases in single-use plastic waste, pharmaceutical pollution, and medical waste that more than offset short-term pollution reductions seen during lockdowns. The authors argue that pandemic-driven plastic surges created a new wave of microplastic contamination entering aquatic and terrestrial systems.