We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plastic Pollution During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Disaster in the Making
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed how the COVID-19 pandemic created a plastic pollution crisis, finding that while mobility restrictions temporarily reduced some environmental pressures, the surge in single-use protective equipment and packaging generated massive new streams of plastic waste with significant ecological consequences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all spheres of human life and the global environmental parameters to a large extent. Research studies by scientists across the globe pointed out that COVID-19 is both a boon and a bane for the environment. While safety restrictions...
More Papers Like This
Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Generation of Plastic Waste
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased plastic waste generation, driven by surging demand for personal protective equipment, single-use packaging, and medical supplies. This plastic surge likely accelerated the flow of microplastics into waterways and ecosystems at a time when waste management systems were already strained.
Microplastic Pollution: Occurrence, Sources and Impact of COVID-19 Generated Waste
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased microplastic pollution through mass disposal of masks, gloves, and other single-use items, examining the cascading effects on ecosystems and human health.
Double Trouble: COVID-19 and Microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased demand for single-use plastics — from PPE to packaging — compounding an already critical microplastic pollution crisis and accelerating the flow of plastic waste into the environment.
Plastic Pollution and the Need for Responsible Plastic Consumption and Waste Management
AI summary Read the abstract
This paper reviewed the global scale of plastic pollution across environmental compartments and assessed current waste management practices — recycling, composting, incineration, and landfill — finding that all existing approaches result in leakage of plastics into natural environments. Closing the gap between plastic production and effective end-of-life management is a prerequisite for halting the continuous input of new microplastic particles into ecosystems and ultimately into human bodies.
Influence of COVID-19 on Microplastics Pollution in Coastal Water and Sediment of Chennai, India
AI summary Read the abstract
COVID-19 pandemic-related increases in single-use plastic waste significantly elevated microplastic concentrations in coastal water and sediment in Chennai, India, adding a new pollution driver on top of existing sources. This study illustrates how public health crises can create cascading environmental harms that compound long-term microplastic contamination.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.