Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research on marine plastic pollution – A bibliometric-based assessment

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of marine plastic pollution research from 2015 to 2022 and found that while the COVID-19 pandemic initially disrupted international collaboration, it also spurred new research on pandemic-related plastic waste entering the marine environment.

2022 Marine Policy 23 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic pollution induced by the COVID-19: Environmental challenges and outlook

Researchers used bibliometric analysis to map research on plastic pollution generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that wealthier nations led early inquiry while developing countries followed, and revealing that pandemic-related plastics — from masks to medical waste — are creating cascading contamination from land to ocean to atmosphere.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Does marine environmental research meet the challenges of marine pollution induced by the COVID-19 pandemic? Comparison analysis before and during the pandemic based on bibliometrics

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis comparing marine pollution research output before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Web of Science database. They found that the pandemic increased publication volume on marine pollution topics, particularly regarding pandemic-related plastic waste and pharmaceutical contamination, while simultaneously disrupting some established research trajectories and field sampling programs.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding of environmental pollution and its anthropogenic impacts on biological resources during the COVID-19 period

Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic intensified plastic pollution across terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric environments by driving surges in single-use plastics and inadequately managed medical waste, with plastic-related contamination projected to pose escalating transboundary risks through 2030 and beyond.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Will COVID-19 Containment and Treatment Measures Drive Shifts in Marine Litter Pollution?

This study examines whether COVID-19 containment and treatment measures, including widespread use of personal protective equipment and single-use plastics, are likely to drive significant shifts in marine litter pollution patterns. The authors assess how pandemic-driven increases in disposable plastic use may translate to elevated inputs of PPE-derived plastic debris in marine environments.

2020 Frontiers in Marine Science 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Increased plastic pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations

This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased plastic pollution through the massive use of disposable personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. Researchers warn that this surge in single-use plastics will accelerate the generation of microplastics and nanoplastics in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. The study emphasizes the need to balance public health measures with environmental safety and calls for a shift toward sustainable alternatives.

2020 Chemical Engineering Journal 1028 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic and its consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers examined the dual role of plastic during the COVID-19 pandemic — as life-saving material in medical and personal protective equipment and as an environmental pollutant when improperly discarded — highlighting how pandemic-driven plastic use worsened water body contamination and public health risks.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 79 citations
Article Tier 2

A sustainable trend in COVID-19 research: An environmental perspective

This review analyzes the sustainable research trends linking COVID-19 and the environment, examining how the pandemic affected environmental conditions including increased plastic waste from personal protective equipment and medical supplies.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic accumulation during COVID-19: call for another pandemic; bioplastic a step towards this challenge?

Researchers reviewed the surge in single-use plastic waste driven by COVID-19 personal protective equipment and evaluated bioplastics as an alternative, concluding that while bioplastics have limitations, transitioning toward them alongside circular economy waste management and policy intervention is essential to prevent plastic pollution from compounding pandemic-era environmental pressures.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 65 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 and the emerging research trends in environmental studies: a bibliometric evaluation

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of 495 environmental science publications from the COVID-19 pandemic era, identifying key research trends including environmental quality assessment, increased chemical disinfectant exposure, worsening solid waste management, and strategies for post-pandemic urban planning. The study maps how the pandemic reshaped environmental research priorities and revealed both temporary environmental improvements and new pollution challenges.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Polymers 36 citations
Article Tier 2

A creeping crisis when an urgent crisis arises: The reprioritization of plastic pollution issues during COVID‐19

This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic led governments and industry to deprioritize single-use plastic reduction policies in favor of hygiene and health concerns. Policy analysis showed that the pandemic was used as justification to reverse plastic reduction commitments and increase single-use plastic consumption.

2022 Politics &amp Policy 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Covid-19: The Surge in Plastics (Known-Unknowns), Its Impacts on Public and Environmental Health and The Way Forward

This paper examined how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased single-use plastic consumption — PPE, packaging, and food delivery items — reversing previous progress on plastic reduction. The surge in pandemic plastics is expected to increase microplastic pollution in air, water, and food for years to come.

2021 Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study of marine plastic pollution abatement: A bibliometric analysis on status and development trend

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of marine plastic pollution research using R software, finding that global scientific attention has grown substantially, with microplastics emerging as a central focus spanning both macro- and microscale investigations.

2023 Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Global trends and prospects in microplastics research: A bibliometric analysis

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of global microplastics research using the Web of Science database from 1986 to 2019. The study found that publications on microplastics increased significantly since 2011, with research hotspots and trends shifting from marine contamination surveys toward understanding ecological impacts and human health implications.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 234 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 Pandemic and Microplastic Pollution

This review links the COVID-19 pandemic to a surge in microplastic pollution driven by increased production and disposal of personal protective equipment including masks and gloves. The authors document how pandemic-related plastic waste entered terrestrial and aquatic environments and argue for circular economy strategies to prevent future public health crises from amplifying plastic pollution.

2022 Nanomaterials 42 citations
Article Tier 2

The plastic pandemic: COVID-19 has accelerated plastic pollution, but there is a cure

This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the global plastic pollution crisis through massively increased use of single-use protective equipment like masks and gloves. Researchers review the environmental consequences and propose solutions including improved waste management, biodegradable alternatives, and policy changes to curb plastic pollution going forward.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the environment: A global perspective

This global perspective reviews environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, documenting sharp increases in single-use plastic waste, pharmaceutical pollution, and medical waste that more than offset short-term pollution reductions seen during lockdowns. The authors argue that pandemic-driven plastic surges created a new wave of microplastic contamination entering aquatic and terrestrial systems.

2022 Narra J 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The emerging issue of microplastics in marine environment: A bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2020

This bibliometric analysis of marine microplastic research from 2004 to 2020 revealed rapid growth in publications, identified key research themes and collaborations, and highlighted emerging topics including microplastic impacts on marine organisms and human health.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 88 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID‐19: An Accelerator for Global Plastic Consumption and Its Implications

This review examined how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global plastic consumption through increased medical waste and single-use plastics, analyzing the environmental implications and challenges for waste management systems worldwide.

2022 Journal of Environmental and Public Health 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The COVID-19 pandemic as an impeller for the aggravation of marine plastic pollution and economic crisis: the reserve effect of health protection measures on human lives

This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic worsened marine plastic pollution by dramatically increasing the use of single-use masks, gloves, and other protective equipment. Billions of pieces of pandemic-related plastic waste entered the environment, much of which ended up in oceans. The authors argue that biodegradable alternatives and better waste management are needed to prevent pandemic-era plastics from becoming a lasting marine pollution problem.

2021 Revista de Direito Internacional 1 citations
Article Tier 2

What we need to know about PPE associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the marine environment

This review discusses how the surge in plastic-based personal protective equipment use during the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to marine plastic pollution. Researchers identified key research gaps regarding the occurrence, degradation, and ecological effects of PPE-derived plastics in ocean environments. The study proposes five priority research areas to better understand and mitigate the environmental impact of pandemic-related plastic waste.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative bibliometric trends of microplastics and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances: how these hot environmental remediation research topics developed over time

A bibliometric analysis compared publication trends for microplastics and PFAS research, identifying parallel trajectories driven by growing public concern, regulatory attention, and international research collaboration, with both fields experiencing rapid growth since the early 2010s.

2022 RSC Advances 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution during COVID-19: Plastic waste directives and its long-term impact on the environment

Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global plastic production — through mandatory masks, gloves, and single-use packaging — worsening long-term micro- and nanoplastic pollution in oceans, soils, and food chains. The study calls for stronger plastic waste management programs that specifically target the prevention of small plastic particles from entering ecosystems.

2021 Environmental Advances 317 citations