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Disposable masks release microplastics to the aqueous environment with exacerbation by natural weathering

Journal of Hazardous Materials 2021 343 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 55 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Zheng Wang, Baiyu Zhang Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Xiujuan Chen, Xiujuan Chen, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Chunjiang An, Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Baiyu Zhang Xiujuan Chen, Kenneth Lee, Feng Qi, Zheng Wang, Feng Qi, Feng Qi, Xiujuan Chen, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An, Xiujuan Chen, Chunjiang An, Baiyu Zhang Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Feng Qi, Chunjiang An, Zheng Wang, Feng Qi, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Kenneth Lee, Feng Qi, Xiujuan Chen, Kenneth Lee, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Xiujuan Chen, Kenneth Lee, Zheng Wang, Xiujuan Chen, Baiyu Zhang Zheng Wang, Chunjiang An, Chunjiang An, Feng Qi, Zheng Wang, Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Zheng Wang, Zheng Wang, Baiyu Zhang Feng Qi, Baiyu Zhang Chunjiang An, Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang Baiyu Zhang

Summary

Researchers studied how disposable face masks degrade and release microplastics when exposed to shoreline environmental conditions including UV radiation and wave action. The study found that natural weathering significantly exacerbated microplastic release from masks by altering their chemical composition and reducing mechanical strength, indicating that improperly discarded masks pose a growing threat to marine environments.

Study Type Environmental

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven explosive growth in the use of masks has resulted in many issues related to the disposal and management of waste masks. As improperly disposed masks enter the ocean, the risk to the marine ecological system is further aggravated, especially in the shoreline environment. The objective of this study is to explore the changing characteristics and environmental behaviors of disposable masks when exposed to the shoreline environment. The transformation of chain structure and chemical composition of masks as well as the decreased mechanical strength of masks after UV weathering were observed. The melt-blown cloth in the middle layer of masks was found to be particularly sensitive to UV irradiation. A single weathered mask can release more than 1.5 million microplastics to the aqueous environment. The physical abrasion caused by sand further exacerbated the release of microplastic particles from masks, with more than 16 million particles released from just one weathered mask in the presence of sand. The study results indicate that shorelines are not only the main receptor of discarded masks from oceans and lands, but also play host to further transformation of masks to plastic particles.

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