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The COVID-19 pandemic face mask waste: A blooming threat to the marine environment.
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This review examines how single-use face masks — billions of which were discarded during the COVID-19 pandemic — contribute to microplastic and microfiber pollution in marine environments when improperly disposed of. The pandemic created a massive new source of plastic pollution, with masks breaking down into microplastics and releasing chemical contaminants in the ocean.
Recently, the COVID-19 disease spread has emerged as a worldwide pandemic and cause severe threats to humanity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) releases guidelines to help the countries to reduce the spread of this virus to the public, like wearing masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, shutting down all types of public transports, etc. These conditions led to a worldwide economic fall drastically, and on the other hand, indirect environmental benefits like global air quality improvement and decreased water pollution are also pictured. Currently, use of face masks is part of a comprehensive package of the prevention and control measures that can limit the spread of COVID-19 since there is no clinically proven drugs or vaccine available for COVID-19. Mostly, face masks are made of petroleum-based non-renewable polymers that are non-biodegradable, hazardous to the environment and create health issues. This study demonstrates the extensive use of the face mask and how it affects human health and the marine ecosystem. It has become a great challenge for the government sectors to impose strict regulations for the proper disposal of the masks as medical waste by the public. Neglecting the seriousness of this issue may lead to the release of large tonnes of micro-plastics to the landfill as well as to the marine environment where mostly end-up and thereby affecting their fauna and flora population vastly. Besides, this study highlights the COVID-19 spread, its evolutionary importance, taxonomy, genomic structure, transmission to humans, prevention, and treatment.
More Papers Like This
Face masks: a COVID-19 protector or environmental contaminant?
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This review examined how the massive global use of disposable face masks during COVID-19 has created a significant source of microplastic pollution, with billions of masks entering the environment and releasing plastic fibers and chemical contaminants.
A review of disposable facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic: A focus on microplastics release
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This review examines the environmental threats posed by disposable face masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on microplastic release. Researchers found that discarded masks undergo physical and chemical degradation in the environment, generating microplastics that contaminate both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The study provides an overview of current knowledge on microplastic extraction methods and proposes strategies for controlling mask-related plastic pollution through source reduction and improved waste management.
Facemasks: A Looming Microplastic Crisis
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Single-use disposable face masks were shown to shed microplastic fibers during use and degradation, with billions of masks improperly discarded globally during the COVID-19 pandemic entering aquatic environments and releasing polypropylene and polyurethane fibers, adding a new and large-scale source of microplastic contamination.
Potential Microplastic Threat: Environmental Assessment of The Face Mask Pollution
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Researchers assessed the environmental threat posed by face masks discarded during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that masks contain polypropylene fibers that can fragment into microplastics and persist in the environment. The study calls for better mask disposal strategies and environmental monitoring to track mask-derived microplastic pollution.
Masks and the scourge of microplastic pollution
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This commentary discusses how the widespread use of disposable face masks during COVID-19 has become a significant source of microplastic pollution, particularly from masks improperly discarded outside of hospital settings. The authors call attention to the environmental burden of mask litter as a growing global concern.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.