Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Post-pandemic micro/nanoplastic pollution: Toward a sustainable management

Researchers reviewed how the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to micro- and nanoplastic pollution through the massive use of disposable personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. The study found that weathering of these items releases microplastics into the environment and may even serve as carriers for pathogens. The review calls for more sustainable waste management approaches in preparing for future health crises.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Generation and consequence of nano/microplastics from medical waste and household plastic during the COVID-19 pandemic

This review examines how medical waste and household plastics generated during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to micro- and nanoplastic pollution. Researchers found that approximately 1.6 million tons of plastic waste were generated daily during the pandemic, with single-use items like face masks and gloves containing non-biodegradable materials that fragment into microplastics. The study highlights that these particles can also serve as carriers for pathogenic contaminants, posing long-term risks to ecosystems and human health.

2022 Chemosphere 66 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

Micro- and Nano-Plastics Contaminants in the Environment: Sources, Fate, Toxicity, Detection, Remediation, and Sustainable Perspectives

This review provides a broad overview of micro- and nanoplastic pollution, covering where these particles come from, how they spread through the environment, and the damage they cause to living things including humans. The authors also compare different methods for removing microplastics from the environment, including physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The paper calls for more research and global cooperation to develop better tools for measuring the health risks of plastic pollution.

2023 Water 31 citations
Review Tier 2

A review on enhanced microplastics derived from biomedical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic with its toxicity, health risks, and biomarkers

This review examined the increase in microplastic pollution derived from biomedical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study discusses how discarded personal protective equipment and other medical plastics break down into microplastics through sunlight, oxidation, and biodegradation, and explores the associated toxicity, health risks, and potential biomarkers for monitoring exposure in organisms and humans.

2022 Environmental Research 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of Micro- and Submicron (Nano) Plastics in Water Sources and the Impact of COVID-19 on Plastic Pollution

This review discusses the identification of microplastics and nanoplastics in water sources and examines how the COVID-19 pandemic — through increased use of disposable plastic items — has worsened plastic pollution. The surge in pandemic-related plastic waste has added to the burden of microplastic contamination in waterways worldwide.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel circular approach to analyze the challenges associated with micro-nano plastics and their sustainable remediation techniques.

This review examines the environmental concerns raised by micro- and nanoplastics, including the surge in plastic waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and evaluates sustainable remediation strategies. The authors propose a circular approach that considers the full lifecycle of plastics and integrates multiple treatment technologies to address the problem at scale.

2023 Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and associated health hazards: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic

This review explores how the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in single-use plastic waste from masks, gloves, and packaging, increasing microplastic pollution in the environment. Microplastics from this waste can enter land, air, and water, ultimately accumulating in the human body. The study highlights the need for better plastic waste detection, recycling, and management to reduce health risks from pandemic-driven microplastic contamination.

2023 Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Increased pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic and bioremediation: A dire need of management

This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic increased plastic pollution — particularly from PPE and single-use plastics — and discusses bioremediation strategies for cleaning up the resulting environmental contamination. The authors assess both short-term cleanup approaches and long-term strategies for preventing the accumulated pandemic plastic waste from becoming a persistent source of microplastic pollution. The review covers microbial and plant-based remediation options.

2021 Abasyn Journal Life Sciences
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
Review Tier 2

Personal protective equipment and micro-nano plastics: A review of an unavoidable interrelation for a global well-being hazard

This review examines how personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic, breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics when improperly disposed of. These tiny plastic fragments enter the environment and have been shown to be harmful to living organisms based on their size, shape, and chemical makeup. The study highlights a growing concern that pandemic-era protective gear is contributing to plastic pollution in soil, water, and air.

2023 Hygiene and Environmental Health Advances 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Review on personal protective equipment: Emerging concerns in micro(nano)plastic pollution and strategies for addressing environmental challenges

This review examines how the massive increase in disposable masks, gloves, and other protective equipment during COVID-19 has become a major new source of microplastic pollution. An estimated 1.6 million tons of plastic waste per day was generated from discarded protective equipment, and as this gear breaks down, it releases micro- and nanoplastic particles into soil and water. These particles can accumulate in seafood and other organisms, creating another pathway for human microplastic exposure.

2024 Environmental Research 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential source for environmental pollution: An updated review on Indian scenario Post Covid -19

This review examines the status of microplastic pollution in India following the COVID-19 pandemic, during which accelerated plastic production for personal protective equipment and medical supplies intensified microplastic inputs to the environment. Researchers synthesized available data on microplastic contamination across Indian environmental compartments, identifying knowledge gaps and regulatory challenges specific to the post-pandemic Indian context.

2022 World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Article Tier 2

Mind the gap: Sustainable management of the surging plastic waste in the post-COVID-19 pandemic

This review examines how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased plastic waste from personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, and what can be done about it. Researchers found that traditional disposal methods like landfilling and incineration can release micro- and nanoplastics, while circular economy approaches and biological degradation methods show promise. The study underscores the importance of developing sustainable waste management systems that prevent protective equipment from becoming a lasting source of plastic pollution.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Nanomaterials in the Degradation of Micro and Nano Plastics

This review examined the application of nanomaterials for degrading micro- and nanoplastics, covering photocatalytic, oxidative, and biological nanomaterial approaches and evaluating their efficiency and scalability for plastic pollution remediation.

2024 BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS eBooks
Article Tier 2

A Brief Review on Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Body

This brief review summarizes the extent of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly worsened the problem through increased use and disposal of single-use plastic personal protective equipment including face masks and gloves. The authors call for improved waste management strategies to address this accelerating contamination.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Degradation of plastics associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

This review examines how personal protective equipment from the COVID-19 pandemic degrades in the environment and becomes a source of microplastic pollution. Researchers found that face masks, primarily made of polypropylene, break down into microfibers relatively quickly when exposed to weathering. The study highlights that pandemic-related plastic waste represents a new and significant category of environmental microplastic contamination.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential source for environmental pollution: An updated review on Indian scenario Post Covid -19

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence, sources, fate, and toxicological implications in Indian environments, with particular attention to the intensification of plastic pollution during and after the COVID-19 pandemic driven by massive use of facemasks, face shields, and PPE. The authors identify five key research gaps including quantification, multi-media distribution, human toxicology, pandemic-era disposal, and governance challenges, and call for coordinated action among researchers, educators, and policymakers.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential source for environmental pollution: An updated review on Indian scenario Post Covid -19

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence, sources, fate, and toxicological implications in Indian environments, with particular attention to the intensification of plastic pollution during and after the COVID-19 pandemic driven by massive use of facemasks, face shields, and PPE. The authors identify five key research gaps including quantification, multi-media distribution, human toxicology, pandemic-era disposal, and governance challenges, and call for coordinated action among researchers, educators, and policymakers.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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
Article Tier 2

A Brief Review on Plastic Pollution and Roads Towards its Reduction

This brief review summarized sources of plastic pollution and evaluated reduction strategies, noting that COVID-19 increased single-use plastic consumption dramatically. The review calls for improved waste management, stronger regulations, and development of biodegradable plastic alternatives to reduce the microplastic burden.

2021 Journal of Mountain Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment—The Occurrence, Sources, Ecological Impacts, Fate, and Remediation Challenges

This review summarizes the sources, occurrence, ecological impacts, and potential remediation approaches for microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, with attention to increased plastic waste from COVID-19 protective equipment. The study highlights how microplastics can adsorb toxic chemicals and be absorbed by living organisms, interfering with biological processes across the food chain.

2021 Pollutants 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Case Studies on Microplastic Contamination with a Focus on the Impact of the COVID‐19 Pandemic

This book chapter examines how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated microplastic pollution through increased use of disposable PPE, packaging, and hygiene products, and traces pathways by which these plastics degrade and enter aquatic ecosystems. Despite overall negative impacts, the pandemic also spurred increased research attention and some policy responses to microplastic pollution.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microbial strategies for degradation of microplastics generated from COVID-19 healthcare waste

Researchers reviewed microbial strategies for degrading microplastics generated from COVID-19 healthcare waste such as masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment. The study discusses how improper disposal of pandemic-related plastic waste creates microplastic pollution and explores the potential of microorganisms to break down these polymeric materials as a bioremediation approach.

2022 Environmental Research 66 citations