Papers

61,005 results
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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

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.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Perencanaan Pengelolaan Limbah Medis (masker) Rumah Tangga Sebagai Upaya Penanganan Dampak COVID-19 Di Kecamatan Bojongloa Kaler, Kota Bandung

This Indonesian study proposed a management system for household mask waste in Bandung during COVID-19, given that masks are made from polymer-based materials that are difficult to decompose. Pandemic-related single-use plastic waste, including masks, has created a new wave of microplastic contamination in urban environments.

2023 Jurnal Informatika Teknologi dan Sains
Article Tier 2

The Role of Women in Management of Mask Waste in Indonesia in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study examined the role of women in managing disposable mask waste during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, finding that women played a critical role in household waste sorting and proper disposal that reduce environmental contamination.

2023 Proceeding of International Conference on Business Economics Social Sciences and Humanities
Article Tier 2

Pemanfaatan Masker Limbah COVID-19 Sebagai Upaya Mengurangi Pencemaran Lingkungan

This study examines the problem of COVID-19 disposable mask waste in Indonesia and proposes strategies for repurposing mask materials to reduce environmental contamination, discussing the composition of medical masks, the surge in single-use mask demand during the pandemic, and the environmental hazards of improper mask disposal.

2022 Metode Jurnal Teknik Industri 9 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.

2023 International Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research Studies
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

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

Potential Impact of Disposable Mask Garbage Pollution in Cinere District

This Indonesian study estimated that residents of Cinere District used about 2 disposable masks per day per person, generating an estimated 76,494 mask waste items per day. Extrapolation suggested this could release approximately 67 billion microplastic particles per day into the environment if improperly disposed.

2023 Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA
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

Surveying Medical Mask Waste Generation in Can Tho University, Vietnam

This paper is not about microplastics; it surveys how students at a Vietnamese university use and dispose of medical face masks, finding poor waste classification practices and generating estimates of daily mask waste volumes.

2023 Indonesian Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 American International Journal of Nursing Education and Practice
Article Tier 2

Solid Medical Waste Management of Hazardous and Toxic at UNS Hospital Surakarta

Researchers examined hazardous and toxic solid medical waste management at a university hospital in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that waste volumes increased substantially and that existing incineration and disposal protocols faced capacity and compliance challenges during the surge.

2022 Jurnal Presipitasi Media Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Teknik Lingkungan 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Improper Disposal of Waste Water and Masks during COVID-19, and the Associated Increased Cycle of Infection to Human Health in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Tanzania

This study investigated wastewater and face mask disposal practices in Tanzania during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding widespread improper disposal that increases infection risks. Improperly discarded masks and wastewater contribute to environmental pollution including plastic waste in developing country settings.

2022 Journal of Environmental Protection 1 citations
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

Managing Mask Waste in the New Normal Era

This literature review examines mask waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that used masks and other personal protective equipment have become a major contributor to global waste and infectious disease risk, with community education and local government oversight identified as essential for proper disposal.

2023 Interdisciplinary Social Studies 1 citations
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

“You need to dispose of them somewhere safe”: Covid-19, masks, and the pit latrine in Malawi and South Africa

This study examined the practical challenges of disposing of COVID-19 face masks in Malawi and South Africa, where many communities rely on pit latrines rather than formal waste collection systems, and found that safe disposal guidance was often impractical or absent. The study highlights how pandemic-driven mask waste disproportionately burdens low-income communities with inadequate sanitation infrastructure.

2022 PLoS ONE 12 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Sustainability 7 citations
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

Personal 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.

2022
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

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