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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Generation of Facemask in India during the COVID - 19 Pandemic
ClearMicroplastics 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.
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.
Face masks as environmental risk: An observational study using street - Survey in Hisar District of Haryana State
Researchers conducted an observational field survey of littered face masks in 10 localities across Hisar District, Haryana, India, quantifying the density of discarded personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found an overall density of 0.81 masks per 100 square meters, with 52% being single-use surgical masks containing plastic, highlighting improper disposal as a growing source of plastic pollution in developing countries.
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.
Comparative Analysis of Face Mask Usage and Environmental Impact in Asian Cities during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic
This comparative analysis examined face mask usage patterns and their environmental impact across Asian cities, estimating the volume of mask waste generated and the resulting microplastic and fiber pollution from improper disposal.
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.
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.
Facemasks: A Looming Microplastic Crisis
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.
The Impacts of Plastic Waste from Personal Protective Equipment Used during the COVID-19 Pandemic
This review analyzes the environmental impacts of personal protective equipment plastic waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how the unprecedented surge in PPE demand overwhelmed waste management systems and contributed to microplastic pollution.
Accumulation of biomedical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic: concerns and strategies for effective treatment
Researchers analyzed the surge in biomedical waste generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in India, modeled face mask consumption volumes, and evaluated disposal infrastructure including incineration technology, identifying critical gaps and proposing risk-based strategies for safer waste segregation and treatment.
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.
Covid-19 face masks: A potential source of microplastic fibers in the environment
This commentary highlights that the massive global increase in disposable face mask production during the COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant new source of microplastic fiber pollution, as mask materials shed synthetic fibers into the environment.
Face 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.
Microplastics as potential source for environmental pollution: An updated review on Indian scenario Post Covid -19
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence, sources, fate, and toxicological implications in Indian environments, with particular attention to the intensification of plastic pollution during and after the COVID-19 pandemic driven by massive use of facemasks, face shields, and PPE. The authors identify five key research gaps including quantification, multi-media distribution, human toxicology, pandemic-era disposal, and governance challenges, and call for coordinated action among researchers, educators, and policymakers.
Microplastics as potential source for environmental pollution: An updated review on Indian scenario Post Covid -19
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence, sources, fate, and toxicological implications in Indian environments, with particular attention to the intensification of plastic pollution during and after the COVID-19 pandemic driven by massive use of facemasks, face shields, and PPE. The authors identify five key research gaps including quantification, multi-media distribution, human toxicology, pandemic-era disposal, and governance challenges, and call for coordinated action among researchers, educators, and policymakers.
Biomedical waste generation and management during COVID-19 pandemic in India: challenges and possible management strategies
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive surge in biomedical and plastic waste generation in India, overwhelming existing infrastructure and raising risks of environmental contamination and pathogen spread, with the authors calling for improved waste segregation, capacity expansion, and national policy reform.
Disseminating the Biomedical Waste Generation Scenario During Covid-19: an Overview from the Lower Middle Income Country Bangladesh
This study quantified biomedical waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, estimating that about 158 million face masks were disposed of in urban areas alone during the study period, generating 517 tons of solid waste. Pandemic-related medical waste adds a significant burden of plastic pollution, including microplastic-shedding personal protective equipment.
Masks and the scourge of microplastic pollution
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.
Accumulation of biomedical waste due to COVID-19: Concerns and strategies for effective treatment to control the pandemic
Researchers estimated that India generates approximately 88.5 tonnes of plastic PPE waste per day during COVID-19, with 55% of facemasks disposed of via open burning, and proposed pyrolysis-based energy recovery as a safer alternative to landfilling and uncontrolled incineration.
From Protection to Pollution: The Impact of Mask Use on Micro(nano)plastic Release
This bibliographic review found that global mask consumption during COVID-19 reached as high as 2.5 trillion single-use masks per month, with Asia as the largest consumer, and documented how improper mask disposal releases microplastics and nanoplastics into terrestrial and aquatic environments.
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.
Disposal Behavior of Used Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Moroccan Community: Potential Environmental Impact
Researchers surveyed face mask disposal behavior in two major Moroccan regions during the COVID-19 pandemic and estimated the volume of mask waste generated. They found that over five million masks per day, equivalent to roughly 40,000 kg, were being discarded in the studied regions alone. The study highlights the significant environmental risk posed by pandemic-related plastic waste, which can break down into microplastics in both land and marine environments.
Domestic Facemask Waste Policy Based on Environmental Ethics in the Covid-19 Pandemic: Urgency and Challenges
This paper argues that the mass disposal of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic created a new source of plastic and microplastic pollution, and calls for environmental ethics-based policy frameworks to govern mask waste management.
Generation, types and impacts of biomedical waste during COVID-19: Indian context
This review documented the surge in biomedical waste generated in India during COVID-19, examining waste types, management challenges, and health and environmental impacts of improper disposal, within the context of the country's already strained waste management infrastructure.