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An urgent call to think globally and act locally on landfill disposable plastics under and after covid-19 pandemic: Pollution prevention and technological (Bio) remediation solutions
Chemical Engineering Journal2021
109 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 60
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
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Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Joana C. Prata,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Joana C. Prata,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Joana C. Prata,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Armando C. Duarte,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Armando C. Duarte,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Teresa Rocha‐Santos,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Ana L. Patrício Silva
Summary
This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic worsened plastic pollution through massive increases in landfilled disposable masks and other protective equipment, estimated at 3.5 million metric tonnes in the first year alone. Researchers warn that improperly managed pandemic waste could release trillions of microplastics into the environment. The study highlights innovative waste management and bioremediation technologies that could help mitigate the long-term environmental impact.
Landfilling and illegal waste disposal have risen to deal with the COVID-19 potentially infectious waste, particularly in developing countries, which aggravates plastic pollution and inherent environmental threats to human and animal health. It is estimated that 3.5 million metric tonnes of masks (equivalent to 601 TIR containers) have been landfilled worldwide in the first year, with the potential to increase global plastic municipal solid waste by 3.5%, alter biogas composition, and release 2.3 × 10 microplastics to leachates or adjacent environments, in the coming years. This paper reviews the challenges raised in the pandemic scenario on landfills and discusses the potential environmental and health implications that might drive us apart from the 2030 U.N. sustainable goals. Also, it highlights some innovative technologies to improve waste management (from collection to disposal, waste reduction, sterilization) and mitigates plastic leakage (emission control approaches, application of biotechnological and monitoring/computational tools) that can pave the way to environmental recovery. COVID-19 will eventually subside, but if no action is taken in the short-term towards effective plastic policies, replacement of plastics for sustainable alternatives (e.g., biobased plastics), improvement of waste management streams (prioritising flexible and decentralized approaches), and a greater awareness and responsibility of the general public, stakeholders, industries; we will soon reach a tipping-point in natural environments worldwide.