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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Personal protective equipment use during COVID-19 pandemic and associated waste management in households in Sri Lanka
ClearPotential 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Impact of coronavirus pandemic litters on microfiber pollution—effect of personal protective equipment and disposable face masks
Researchers reviewed microfiber pollution arising from disposable and reusable face masks and personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that synthetic fiber shedding through littering, laundry, and disinfection represents a significant and undercharacterized addition to global microplastic pollution loads.
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.
Generation, disposal and impact of facemasks used during the Covid-19 pandemic in Lima in 2022
A study of face mask use and disposal in Lima, Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic found that large quantities of masks were being improperly disposed of, creating a significant new source of microplastic pollution. Surgical masks contain polypropylene fibers that fragment into microplastics when they degrade in the environment.
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.
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.
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: 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.
Global daily mask use estimation in the pandemic and its post environmental health risks: Analysis based on a validated dynamic mathematical model
Researchers developed a mathematical model to estimate daily disposable mask usage across 214 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and projected how discarded masks contribute to microplastic pollution. The model estimated billions of masks were used daily at peak periods, releasing massive quantities of microplastic fibers as they degrade. The study provides a tool for policymakers to assess the long-term environmental health risks of pandemic-related plastic waste.
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.
Life-Cycle Assessment of the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis over sepiolite of face masks
Researchers found that pyrolysis of discarded face masks into diesel-substitute oil significantly reduces environmental impact compared to landfilling, with thermal pyrolysis outperforming catalytic approaches using sepiolite across most environmental impact categories.
Environmental Rehabilitation in Waste Management Disposable House-hold Medical Mask
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper discusses legal and procedural frameworks for managing disposable medical mask waste in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic.