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COVID-19 Pandemic Face Masks Pollution: Case Study from an Apulian Hospital
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This case study assessed the plastic pollution and CO2 emissions generated by COVID-19 face mask consumption at a hospital in southern Italy. It provides a framework for quantifying the environmental impact of pandemic-driven increases in single-use healthcare plastics.
Purpose: The goal is to provide a comprehensive framework about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting both plastic pollution and CO2 emissions mainly due to the consumption of face masks in an hospital located in southern Italy, highlighting the CO2 impact as well as the consequences on waste management systems.
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