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Release of microplastics and nanoplastics in water from disposable surgical masks after disinfection
Summary
Researchers investigated whether disinfection of disposable surgical masks by UV treatment or other methods during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the release of microplastics and nanoplastics into water. The study found that UV-disinfected masks released 1,054 to 2,472 microplastic particles per mask — comparable to undisinfected masks — but that disinfection shifted the size distribution toward smaller particles, raising concerns about nanoplastic release from reused masks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, disposable surgical masks were generally disinfected and reused due to mask shortages. Herein, the role of disinfected masks as a source of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) was investigated. The amount of MPs and NPs released from masks disinfected by UV ranged from 1054 ± 106 to 2472 ± 70 and from 2.55 ± 0.22 × 10 to 6.72 ± 0.27 × 10 particles/piece, respectively, comparable to that of the undisinfected masks, and the MPs were changed to small-sized particles. The amount of MPs and NPs released after alcohol and steam treatment were respectively lower and higher than those from undisinfected masks, and MPs were shifted to small-sized particles. The amount of MPs and NPs released in water after autoclaving was lower than for undisinfected masks. In all, the amount of fibers released after disinfection decreased greatly, and certain disinfection processes were found to increase the amount of small-sized NPs released from masks into aqueous environments.