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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to A Novel Face Masks and it’s Utility during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Review
ClearFace Masks to Combat Coronavirus (COVID-19)—Processing, Roles, Requirements, Efficacy, Risk and Sustainability
This review examines the materials, manufacturing methods, and effectiveness of face masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of which are made from non-biodegradable plastics like polypropylene and polyester. Researchers found that while masks are effective at reducing virus transmission, their widespread use and improper disposal have created a significant environmental concern as they break down into microplastics. The study calls for more sustainable mask materials and better waste management strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of pandemic-related plastic waste.
A review of disposable facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic: A focus on microplastics release
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.
Face masks: a COVID-19 protector or environmental contaminant?
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.
Different Type of Face Masks and Their Protection Against Covid-19
This review examined the protective effectiveness of different face mask types against COVID-19. While focused on masks as infection control, surgical and N95 masks are a significant source of microplastic fibers released into the environment during use and disposal.
Face Mask as a Tool to Prevent the Coronavirus Disease 2019: The Importance and Challenges
This review examined the effectiveness and challenges of face masks for preventing COVID-19 transmission. Disposable surgical masks are now recognized as a significant environmental source of microplastic fibers, as they shed synthetic particles during use and when discarded.
Understanding the environmental impacts of facemasks: a review on the facemask industry and existing life cycle assessment studies
This review examined the environmental life cycle impacts of disposable face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that the surge in mask production and disposal created a significant new source of plastic waste and microplastic pollution globally.
Public face masks wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comprehensive analysis is needed for potential implications
This review weighed evidence on the effectiveness of face masks for preventing COVID-19 transmission against growing evidence that masks release microplastics and chemical contaminants when worn and degraded. The authors concluded that the public health benefits of mask use during the pandemic outweighed plastic exposure risks, but called for redesigned masks with lower MP release and better end-of-life management.
The Life of a Face Mask: from Production to Use to Disposal
This review covers the full life cycle of face masks—from production through use to disposal—and their protective efficacy and environmental impact. The widespread use of single-use plastic masks during COVID-19 generated millions of tons of plastic waste that risks fragmenting into environmental microplastics.
Eco-design Actions to Improve Life Cycle Environmental Performance of Face Masks in the Pandemic Era
This study evaluated the environmental impact of single-use face masks throughout their life cycle and proposed eco-design strategies to reduce their footprint. The massive increase in disposable mask use during COVID-19 generated significant plastic waste and potential microplastic pollution.
Environmental risks of polymer materials from disposable face masks linked to the COVID-19 pandemic
This review examines how disposable face masks from the COVID-19 pandemic release microplastics into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, discussing combined pollutant effects and proposing green technologies to reduce mask-related plastic waste at its source.
The impact and effectiveness of the general public wearing masks to reduce the spread of pandemics in the UK: a multidisciplinary comparison of single-use masks versus reusable face masks.
This study compared the filtration effectiveness and environmental impact of single-use versus reusable face masks during COVID-19, finding that reusable masks can be comparable in protection while significantly reducing plastic waste. Billions of disposable masks ended up in the environment during the pandemic, releasing microplastic fibers and fragments as they degraded.
The COVID-19 pandemic face mask waste: A blooming threat to the marine environment.
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.
Current knowledge on the presence, biodegradation, and toxicity of discarded face masks in the environment
This review examines the environmental fate of discarded face masks from the COVID-19 pandemic, covering their degradation, chemical release, and ecological toxicity. Researchers found that disposable masks break down slowly in the environment, releasing microplastic fibers and chemical additives that harm aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The study calls for improved disposal practices and further research into the long-term environmental consequences of pandemic-related mask waste.
Uncovering the Release of Micro/nanoplastics from Disposable Face Masks at Times of COVID-19
Researchers found that disposable face masks release significant amounts of micro- and nanoplastic particles when subjected to water exposure and mechanical stress similar to environmental conditions. This confirms that the massive use of masks during COVID-19 introduced new sources of microplastic pollution into the environment.
Global face mask pollution: threats to the environment and wildlife, and potential solutions
Researchers reviewed the global face mask pollution crisis following COVID-19, estimating massive production volumes and finding that most disposal pathways generate secondary microplastic pollution or toxic emissions, and proposing countermeasures including biodegradable mask development and improved waste management policy.
Disposable over Reusable Face Masks: Public Safety or Environmental Disaster?
This review compares the public health benefits and environmental impacts of disposable versus reusable face masks in the context of COVID-19. While disposable masks consistently provide higher protection, they contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, landfill waste, and microplastic pollution. The study discusses the need for approaches that balance pandemic safety with environmental sustainability.
Antibacterial/Antiviral Face Masks: Processing, Characteristics, Challenges, and Sustainability
This review examines the development of antibacterial and antiviral face masks — including the materials, processing methods, and antimicrobial agents used — and discusses sustainability challenges associated with mask disposal. It is tangentially relevant to microplastics because single-use masks are now recognized as a significant emerging source of microplastic and nanoparticle pollution when they fragment in the environment, though this paper focuses primarily on mask performance and design rather than their pollution impact.
Facemask Global Challenges: The Case of Effective Synthesis, Utilization, and Environmental Sustainability
This review examines the environmental challenges of surging face mask production during COVID-19, including their role as sources of microplastic pollution in water, and discusses sustainable alternatives including nanomaterial-based self-cleaning mask designs.
Addressing the worldwide shortages of face masks
The COVID-19 pandemic created urgent and widespread shortages of certified face masks globally, prompting discussion of disinfection, reuse, and the development of innovative mask designs including reusable, antiviral, and biodegradable options. This prospective review outlines the materials, manufacturing challenges, and potential of these next-generation masks.
Analysis of the Optimal Use of Fabric Masks and Disposable Medical Masks During the COVID-19
This paper is not about microplastics — it compares the environmental, economic, and public health trade-offs of disposable medical masks versus reusable cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microplastics from face masks: A potential hazard post Covid-19 pandemic
Researchers quantified the annual face mask usage and associated plastic waste across 36 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, estimating total annual mask usage exceeding 1.5 million tonnes and associated plastic waste of approximately 4.2 million tonnes. The study highlights that global COVID-19 responses substantially increased environmental microplastic burdens from single-use face mask disposal.
Review of the valorization options for the proper disposal of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers reviewed waste management options for the surge in discarded polypropylene face masks during COVID-19, finding that improper disposal contributes directly to microplastic pollution, and proposing valorization strategies — including energy recovery and material upcycling — tailored to country-level infrastructure and emergency conditions.
Mascarillas faciales: contaminación ambiental, efectos toxicológicos, posibles soluciones y políticas globales
This review examined the environmental contamination, toxicological effects, and global policy responses related to face mask pollution generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting how the surge in mask use following the WHO declaration created a new source of plastic waste and microplastic pollution.
Aerosol Filtration Testing of Fabrics for Development of Reusable Face Masks
Researchers tested the aerosol filtration performance of over 300 fabrics and layered fabric combinations for use as reusable face masks, finding that layered materials and hydrophobic coatings significantly improve filtration efficiency while maintaining breathability. The work provides practical guidance for designing effective non-disposable masks — an important consideration given that disposable mask waste, including microplastic-releasing synthetic fibers, became a major pollution concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.