We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Accumulation of biomedical waste due to COVID-19: Concerns and strategies for effective treatment to control the pandemic
ClearPersonal protective equipment use during COVID-19 pandemic and associated waste management in households in Sri Lanka
Researchers estimated that COVID-19 PPE use in Sri Lanka generates approximately 88.5 tonnes of plastic waste daily, with 55% of facemasks disposed via open burning at homes, and identified major gaps in PPE waste management infrastructure while proposing pyrolysis-based energy recovery strategies.
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.
Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis
Researchers analyzed the elemental composition and pyrolysis behavior of COVID-19 protective face masks, finding that pyrolysis at 400-900 degrees Celsius could effectively recover energy from pandemic-related plastic waste that overwhelmed conventional waste management systems.
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.
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.
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.
Current plastics pollution threats due to COVID-19 and its possible mitigation techniques: a waste-to-energy conversion via Pyrolysis
Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic generated massive amounts of plastic medical waste — including masks and gloves — and found that pyrolysis (heating plastic without oxygen) can convert this waste into usable oil, reducing plastic pollution. This waste-to-energy approach offers a practical path for managing the surge of single-use medical plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills or the environment as microplastics.
Potential Environmental Impacts of the Use and Disposal of Personal Protective Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka
Researchers estimated that Sri Lanka disposes of approximately 12 million face masks and nearly 1 million pieces of other PPE daily, with open burning as the most common disposal method, generating significant microplastic release and climate emissions equivalent to nearly 100 kilotonnes of CO₂ annually.
Thermogravimetric analysis of face mask waste: Kinetic analysis via iso-conversional methods
Researchers analyzed the thermal decomposition of discarded face masks — which contain plastic microfibers — to evaluate their potential for energy recovery through pyrolysis. The COVID-19 pandemic generated enormous quantities of mask waste, and understanding their thermal behavior can inform strategies for safely processing this new category of plastic waste.
Identification of Face Mask Waste Generation and Processing in Tourist Areas with Thermo-Chemical Process
Researchers assessed face mask waste generation in tourist areas and evaluated thermo-chemical processing as a disposal method, measuring the effectiveness of thermal treatment for reducing pandemic-era mask waste on beaches.
Generation of Facemask in India during the COVID - 19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic drove massive increases in single-use facemask consumption in India, generating a growing stream of plastic waste that poses environmental risks if not properly managed.
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.
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.
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.
Conversion of Waste Surgical Mask Into Energy Rich Oil by Pyrolysis Using Fly Ash as Catalyst
This study converted waste surgical masks — a major COVID-19 pandemic plastic waste problem — into energy-rich oil through catalytic pyrolysis using fly ash as a catalyst and food waste-derived biogas as the heat source. The approach offers a way to recover energy from the massive volumes of polypropylene mask waste generated during the pandemic.
Study of Recycling Potential of FFP2 Face Masks and Characterization of the Plastic Mix-Material Obtained. A Way of Reducing Waste in Times of Covid-19
Researchers showed that FFP2 face masks can be mechanically recycled without pre-sorting their composite materials, producing a polymer blend with thermal and mechanical properties comparable to recycled polypropylene — offering a practical route to divert pandemic mask waste from 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.
Challenges of increased usage of plastic during COVID and Possible Solutions
This review examines the surge in plastic waste generation during the COVID-19 pandemic driven by increased use of gloves, masks, protective clothing, and test kits, and evaluates current treatment methods including incineration, landfilling, pyrolysis, and gasification. The authors recommend scaling up pyrolysis and gasification as cleaner alternatives and promote regulation, CO2 scrubbing, and expanded use of biodegradable plastics to address the amplified plastic waste challenge.
The Escalating Biomedical Waste Management To Control the Environmental Transmission of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Perspective from Two South Asian Countries
This study examines the growing challenge of biomedical waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh and India. The research suggests that improperly managed personal protective equipment and medical waste could contribute to long-term microplastic pollution, and recommends modernizing waste management policies and installing adequate incineration infrastructure to prevent environmental and community transmission risks.
Fate of disposable face masks in high-solids anaerobic digestion: Experimental observations and review of potential environmental implications
Researchers examined the fate of disposable face masks in high-solids anaerobic digestion, finding that masks remained largely intact and released microplastic particles during the digestion process, raising environmental concerns about COVID-19 PPE waste in municipal solid waste streams.
An urgent call to think globally and act locally on landfill disposable plastics under and after covid-19 pandemic: Pollution prevention and technological (Bio) remediation solutions
This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic worsened plastic pollution through massive increases in landfilled disposable masks and other protective equipment, estimated at 3.5 million metric tonnes in the first year alone. Researchers warn that improperly managed pandemic waste could release trillions of microplastics into the environment. The study highlights innovative waste management and bioremediation technologies that could help mitigate the long-term environmental impact.
PID-Controlled Pyrolysis of Medical Mask Waste for Enhanced Alternative Fuel Production
Researchers proposed a PID-controlled pyrolysis system for medical mask waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating its effectiveness for producing alternative fuel and addressing the urgent environmental challenge of plastic-based mask waste.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution driven by COVID-19 pandemic in Marina Beach, the longest urban beach in Asia: Abundance, distribution, and analytical characterization.
This study surveyed COVID-19 personal protective equipment littered on Marina Beach in India, finding over 1,150 items with face masks making up the vast majority. The authors measured the chemical composition of the discarded PPE and raised concerns about masks becoming a significant new source of microplastic pollution as they degrade in coastal environments.
Impactos ambientales por residuos sólidos generados durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y alternativas de solución
This review synthesized research on the environmental impacts of solid waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic—particularly disposable PPE—and evaluated proposed solutions including incineration, recycling, and biodegradable alternatives.