Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Descriptive Analytical Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice of Proper Face Mask Wearing among Healthcare Professionals, Patients and Attendants in a Tertiary Care Center of North India

Researchers conducted a descriptive study assessing healthcare workers' knowledge and practice of proper face mask disposal during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, finding widespread improper disposal practices including littering and mixing with general waste. The study identifies training gaps and recommends clearer disposal guidelines to prevent face masks from entering the environment as a microplastic source.

2024 The Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste disposal practices as COVID-19 response strategy: insights from Bangladesh

Researchers surveyed WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) behaviors and COVID-19 protective equipment disposal practices in Bangladesh, finding that while most respondents had good sanitation access and used face masks, over 50% disposed of used masks and gloves with regular household waste — creating a potentially serious microplastic and infectious waste pollution pathway.

2021 Environment Development and Sustainability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding Level of Pkk Banjar Purwa Santhi Benoa on Medical Mask Waste Management and Strengthening Health Protocols in Controlling COVID-19 Infection

Researchers assessed community understanding of single-use medical mask waste management in Bali, Indonesia during COVID-19, finding gaps in knowledge that raise concerns about both environmental pollution and continued virus transmission from improper disposal.

2023 INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Social Dynamics of Face Masks as Single-Use Waste from the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Latin American survey found that 35% of respondents mixed face mask waste with household trash, and 61.5% were unaware of any COVID-19 waste management plan. The study highlights how lack of public knowledge about proper mask disposal led to inadequate waste management with potential environmental and public health consequences.

2023 Enfoque UTE
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Face Mask Use among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Researchers surveyed 255 university students on face mask handling and disposal during COVID-19, finding that mask type choices were influenced by gender and age, while disposal practices and hand hygiene habits varied significantly by educational level.

2023 Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Municipal solid waste management during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between the current activities and guidelines

Researchers compared municipal solid waste management practices during the COVID-19 pandemic against international guidelines, finding that while worker health and safety protocols were largely followed, broader waste management strategies were not meaningfully updated to address pandemic-specific challenges or guidance from global health organizations.

2021 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Attitude about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Crises in Al-Ahsa

Researchers surveyed knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward biomedical waste management among healthcare professionals in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding moderate knowledge levels but gaps in safe disposal practices that increased during the crisis.

2021 Healthcare 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into hazardous solid waste generation during COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable management approaches for developing countries

Researchers reviewed hazardous solid waste generated by COVID-19 personal protective equipment, noting that SARS-CoV-2 persistence on plastic and other surfaces makes improper disposal a transmission risk, and proposed measures including biodegradable PPE materials and strategic pre-planning for waste management in low- and middle-income countries.

2021 Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of college students in disposing used masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in DKI Jakarta Province

Not relevant to microplastics — this study surveys knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of Jakarta college students regarding disposal of used face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, without addressing microplastic contamination from masks.

2024 F1000Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Predictions of hazardous plastic waste amounts based on disposable face mask wearing habits

Researchers surveyed Lithuanian public attitudes toward face mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and used the data to predict the amounts of hazardous plastic waste generated from disposable mask usage, finding a troubling proportion of the population resisted mandates despite infection control rationale.

2024 Journal of Water and Land Development
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Knowledge Regarding Management and Disposal of Sanitary Napkins in Udaipur City, India

This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sanitary napkin disposal among women in Udaipur, India, where plastic-containing disposable napkins create significant menstrual waste management challenges. Inadequate disposal infrastructure was identified as contributing to health and environmental risks from accumulated sanitary waste.

2024 Ecology Environment and Conservation
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 and waste management in Indian scenario: challenges and possible solutions

Researchers review how COVID-19 dramatically amplified India's already-strained biomedical waste management challenges, warning that improper disposal of pandemic-associated waste risks food chain contamination and a secondary 'waste disaster,' and calling for automated, mechanized waste management systems to handle current and future health emergencies.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

The Massive Misuse of Face Mask as a Risk to COVID-19 Pandemic in Latin American: The Case of Mexico

Researchers examined face mask waste mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico and Latin America, finding that inadequate waste management infrastructure, poor public compliance, and high single-use mask consumption created significant environmental contamination risks in already strained waste systems.

2021 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Perception and Attitudes Toward PPE-Related Waste Disposal Amid COVID-19 in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study

Public perceptions of and attitudes toward disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) waste were surveyed in Bangkok, Thailand, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Most respondents lacked information on proper PPE disposal, with improper disposal behavior increasing the risk of PPE-derived microplastic pollution entering the environment.

2020 Frontiers in Public Health 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Education Webinar Increaces The Knowledge of The Mask Waste Management During COVID-19 Pandemic

Researchers evaluated the effect of an education webinar on knowledge about proper face mask waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that the intervention significantly increased participant awareness of the environmental risks of improper mask disposal, including microplastic contamination and pathogen transmission.

2022 Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health Research
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Behaviors and attitudes concerning disposable masks and the environment: A D.C. high school case study

This case study examined high school students' behaviors and attitudes toward disposable mask disposal during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding widespread environmental contamination with masks that shed microplastics. The study highlights the gap between students' environmental awareness and their actual disposal behaviors.

2024 Journal of Emerging Investigators
Article Tier 2

Determinants of Face Mask Waste Management as a Health Behavior to Protect the Environment

A survey of Indonesian parents found that most people have sufficient knowledge and a supportive attitude toward proper face mask disposal, yet lack access to dedicated disposal infrastructure such as mask waste bins or waste banks. Since disposable masks are made primarily of polypropylene, improper disposal contributes to microplastic formation in the environment. The study identifies access and structural barriers — not just awareness — as the key obstacles to preventing mask-derived microplastic pollution.

2023 International Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research Studies
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Ecology Environment and Conservation 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Determinants of Face Mask Waste Management as a Health Behavior to Protect the Environment

A survey of Indonesian parents found that most people have sufficient knowledge and a supportive attitude toward proper face mask disposal, yet lack access to dedicated disposal infrastructure such as mask waste bins or waste banks. Since disposable masks are made primarily of polypropylene, improper disposal contributes to microplastic formation in the environment. The study identifies access and structural barriers — not just awareness — as the key obstacles to preventing mask-derived microplastic pollution. (Note: this appears to be a duplicate of paper 39919.)

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Community practices of face mask use and associated knowledge and attitude in a Malaysian town during the COVID-19 pandemic

This survey studied face mask use practices and related knowledge and attitudes in a Malaysian town during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study offers insights into pandemic-related behavior with implications for managing the surge in mask-related plastic waste.

2023 Ghana Medical Journal 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Planning for disposal of COVID-19 pandemic wastes in developing countries: a review of current challenges

Researchers review the acute challenges developing countries face in managing the surge of COVID-19-related medical waste, highlighting how pre-existing deficiencies in waste infrastructure, treatment capacity, and disposal practices create serious risks of accelerating viral spread and environmental contamination.

2021 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 42 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 73 citations