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Protective Disposable Face Masks Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Source of Pollutants in the Aquatic Environment – A Study of Short-Term Effects
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This study examined the migration of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Fe) from disposable COVID-19 face masks into aquatic environments over the short term, using atomic absorption spectroscopy across a range of pH conditions. Manganese leached at persistently elevated concentrations, while lead and iron temporarily exceeded national and European water quality standards. The findings highlight that widespread pandemic mask disposal adds both microplastic particles and heavy metals to aquatic ecosystems.
The paper examines the impact of protective equipment used during the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment. The impact of protective face masks on the aquatic environment was analyzed in more detailed way. The amount of protective face masks penetrated into the environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and their role in the increase of plastic and microplastic things in the environment was noted. The aim of the work was to study the migration of a number of metals from disposable protective masks into the aquatic environment in the short term. Using the method of atomic absorption spectroscopy, the value of Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Fe in the investigated model systems containing protective disposable face masks was obtained by varying the pH of the aqueous medium. It was found that for manganese, lead and iron there is a permanent (Mn) or temporary (Pb, Fe) excess of these metals in the aquatic environment according to national and European standards. The probable possibility of sorption effects and the need for further research in this direction were noted.
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