Papers

61,005 results
|
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

Assessment of the awareness about COVID-19 and the following-up of guidelines for biomedical wastes in Jaipur city

Researchers surveyed public awareness of COVID-19 biomedical waste guidelines in Jaipur, India, finding that while most adults understood proper disposal practices, younger respondents frequently failed to sanitize masks, gloves, and PPE before disposal, indicating gaps in behavioral compliance despite adequate knowledge.

2022 Vegetos
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

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

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

Asessment of Biomedical Waste Management Among Primary Healthcare Workers in Gwadabawa Local Government of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Researchers conducted a descriptive survey assessing biomedical waste management practices and personal protective equipment use among primary healthcare workers in Gwadabawa Local Government, Sokoto State, Nigeria. They found widespread deficiencies including infrequent vaccination against waste-associated pathogens, irregular use of protective gear, and inconsistent waste segregation and storage practices, highlighting significant gaps in occupational safety and infection control.

2022 Transaction on Biomedical Engineering Applications and Healthcare 1 citations
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

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

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

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Plastic Pollution among Malaysians

Researchers assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward plastic pollution among 294 Malaysian respondents via an online survey, using descriptive statistics, KAP scoring, and cross-tabulation to evaluate variation across sociodemographic groups. The study found that while awareness of plastic pollution was present, gaps between knowledge and actual waste reduction behavior persisted across the surveyed population.

2022 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Mismanagement of Medical and Plastic Waste in Pre and During COVID-19 Outbreak

This review examined how mismanagement of medical and plastic waste — a problem worsened by COVID-19 — harms the environment and human health, particularly for healthcare workers. Improperly disposed PPE, sharps, and plastic packaging create pollution hazards and increase disease risk. The authors call for improved waste management infrastructure to address pandemic-era plastic waste surges.

2021 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
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

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

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

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

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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Impacts and Regulations of Healthcare Solid Waste Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

This systematic review summarizes research on healthcare waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic, when medical plastic waste surged dramatically. The massive increase in disposable masks, gloves, and other medical plastics created new sources of microplastic pollution, raising concerns about both environmental contamination and potential health effects from degrading medical waste.

2023 Sustainability 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Beyond the Frontlines: Assessing PPE Waste Disposal in Lahore's Major Public Hospitals During COVID-19 and its Environmental Consequences

This paper is not relevant to microplastics — it examines PPE waste management practices at hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan during COVID-19, focusing on biosafety protocol compliance rather than microplastic contamination.

2023 Environmental Protection Research
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

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

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

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
Article Tier 2

Challenges in Healthcare Waste Management of the UN 2030 Agenda in the COVID-19 Era

This review examined healthcare waste management challenges during COVID-19, finding that the pandemic dramatically increased demand for single-use personal protective equipment, creating large new streams of potentially infectious plastic waste with serious implications for environmental microplastic pollution.

2022 American Journal of Environmental Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomedical waste plastic: bacteria, disinfection and recycling technologies—a comprehensive review

Researchers reviewed recycling and disinfection technologies for the surge in biomedical plastic waste generated during COVID-19, finding that roughly 25% of biomedical waste is recyclable and that cleaner treatment approaches — from autoclave sterilization to chemical recycling — can convert this hazardous waste stream into recoverable materials.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 28 citations