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Understanding of environmental pollution and its anthropogenic impacts on biological resources during the COVID-19 period
Summary
Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic intensified plastic pollution across terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric environments by driving surges in single-use plastics and inadequately managed medical waste, with plastic-related contamination projected to pose escalating transboundary risks through 2030 and beyond.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a significant health emergency to adverse impact on environment, and human society. The COVID-19 post-pandemic not only affects human beings but also creates pollution crisis in environment. The post-pandemic situation has shown a drastic change in nature due to biomedical waste load and other components. The inadequate segregation of untreated healthcare wastes, chemical disinfectants, and single-use plastics leads to contamination of the water, air, and agricultural fields. These materials allow the growth of disease-causing agents and transmission. Particularly, the COVID-19 outbreak has posed a severe environmental and health concern in many developing countries for infectious waste. In 2030, plastic enhances a transboundary menace to natural ecological communities and public health. This review provides a complete overview of the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental pollution and its anthropogenic impacts to public health and natural ecosystem considering short- and long-term scenarios. The review thoroughly assesses the impacts on ecosystem in the terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric realms. The information from this evaluation can be utilized to assess the short-term and long-term solutions for minimizing any unfavorable effects. Especially, this topic focuses on the excessive use of plastics and their products, subsequently with the involvement of the scientific community, and policymakers will develop the proper management plan for the upcoming generation. This article also provides crucial research gap knowledge to boost national disaster preparedness in future perspectives.
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