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Wet wipes contribution to microfiber contamination under COVID-19 era: An important but overlooked problem
Summary
Researchers highlight that the surge in wet wipe use during COVID-19 — for disinfection and medical purposes — has become an overlooked but significant source of microfiber pollution, with wipes already turning up in marine plastic litter surveys. They call for dedicated studies on how different wipe materials shed fibers and degrade under environmental conditions to fully account for pandemic-related plastic pollution.
Wet wipes for disinfection, sanitizing, and medical purposes, like personal protective equipment, have witnessed an upsurge in production and use as a result of COVID-19 outbreak. They are a potential source of microfibers and have recently been found in COVID-19 plastic litter survey campaigns conducted in a few marine environments around the world. This mini-review highlights wet wipes as a one of the key debris items contributing to the growing COVID-19-related microplastic pollution, and there are significant gaps in our understanding of microfiber release under different environmental conditions, morphological, and chemical degradation signatures, necessitating a comprehensive study of disinfectant wipes. Thus, we urge microplastic researchers to investigate the environmental implications of wet wipes in order to keep the total estimate of the plastic problem up to date and manage the associated environmental challenges.