Millions of tons of disposable COVID facemasks have ended up in the environment, where they’re releasing large quantities of harmful chemicals and microplastics.
A new study in the journal Environmental Pollution quantifies the problem and reveals that the risks could persist for generations to come.
“This study has underlined the urgent need to rethink how we produce, use and dispose of face masks,” lead author Anna Bogush, Ph.D., of Coventry University’s Research Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience said in a press release.
According to the new study, over 129 billion disposable facemasks were used globally every month during the pandemic.
Most were made from plastic and also contained metal noseclips.
The masks were not recyclable. The researchers estimate that 4.3 million tons of “unrecyclable contaminated plastic waste” were generated by plastic masks in a single year.
The researchers tested the masks to see how they released toxic substances into the environment.
They placed new masks in purified water for 24 hours, then analysed the liquid. Even without environmental wear and tear, the masks released significant quantities of toxic substances.
FFP2 and FFP3 masks were found to leach up to four times as many microplastics as surgical masks.
Masks also released endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA). BPA mimics the hormone estrogen in the body and has been linked to a wide variety of harms, from autism and cancer to infertility and reproductive issues.
“As we move forward, it’s vital that we raise awareness of these risks, support the development of more sustainable alternatives and make informed choices to protect our health and the environment,” Bogush said.
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