Personal protective equipment (PPE) disposal during COVID-19: An emerging source of microplastic and microfiber pollution in the environment.

ABSTRACT: Waste generated by healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a new source of pollution, particularly with the widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE). Releasing microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) from discarded PPE becomes an emerging threat to environmental sustainability. MPs/MFs have recently been reported in a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including water, deep-sea sediments, air, and soil. As COVID-19 spreads, the use of plastic-made PPE in healthcare facilities has increased significantly worldwide, resulting in massive amounts of plastic waste entering the terrestrial and marine environments. High loads of MPs/MFs emitted into the environment due to excessive PPE consumption are easily consumed by aquatic organisms

SUBMITTER: Khan MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9675081 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature