From The BMJ
Although measures to control covid-19 have been associated with some positive environmental effects, including decreases in global emissions of carbon dioxide, the pandemic has exacerbated plastic pollution through high use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Single use items include surgical masks, gloves, and non-reusable gowns.
Globally, 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are estimated to have been used every month during the Covid-19 pandemic. The disposable face mask market was estimated to have increased from $800m in 2019 to $166bn in 2020.
If usual patterns of disposal continue, around 75% of plastic PPE waste related to Covid-19 will end up in landfills or ocean environments. Evidence of improper disposal of PPE is emerging, with plastic masks and gloves found on beaches, ocean beds, and urban environments globally.
Surgical face masks, gloves, and gowns are commonly manufactured from plastics that break down slowly, such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate.
A surgical mask made from these materials could take 450 years to fully decompose. These plastics are dispersed globally by wind and ocean currents and may persist as microplastics (fragments below 5 mm).
Plastic pollution has substantial adverse environmental effects, including injury to wildlife (through ingestion) and toxicity to ecosystems (through release of additives or adsorbed contaminants and pathogens).
Growing evidence suggests that microplastics are potentially harmful to aquatic organisms, and enter human food chains, where they may adversely affect health.
