COVID-19 pandemic repercussions on plastic and antiviral polymeric textile causing pollution on beaches and coasts of South America

Abstract

The propagation of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has been alarming in the last months. According to recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the use of face masks is essential for slowing down the transmission rate of COVID-19 in human beings. This pandemic has generated a substantial increase in the use, as well as in the production, of face masks and other elements (gloves, face protectors, protective suits, safety shoes) manufactured with polymeric materials, including antiviral textiles most of which will end as microplastic pools. Focusing on South America, the use and mismanagement of this type of personal protective equipment (PPE) represents an environmental problem. Added to this issue are the increase in the use of single-use plastic, and the reduction of plastic recycling due to the curfew generated by the pandemic, further aggravating plastic pollution on coasts and beaches. Recently, researchers have developed antiviral polymeric textile technology composed of Ag and Cu nanoparticles for PPE to reduce the contagion and spread of COVID-19. Antiviral polymeric textile wastes could also have long-term negative repercussions on aquatic environments, as they are an important emerging class of contaminants. For this reason, this work provides reflections and perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic can aggravate plastic pollution on beaches and coastal environments, consequently increasing the damage to marine species in the coming years. In addition, the potential impact of the pandemic on waste management systems is discussed here, as well as future research directions to improve integrated coastal management strategies.

Municipal solid waste management during COVID-19 pandemic: effects and repercussions

“…Discarded masks on the South American coast has been considered a concern. Textile fibers impregnated with Ag + /Cu 2+ nanoparticles have long-term effects on the aqueous environment (Ardusso et al 2021 ). A study showed that face masks are the most common personal protective equipment pilling up on the beaches during the pandemic, which has increased during the time (De-la-Torre et al 2021 ).…”

Risks of Covid-19 face masks to wildlife: Present and future research needs

“…Plastic mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated plastic pollution worldwide. Several reports have evidenced the occurrence of personal protective equipment such as disposable masks in lakes and beaches in Africa ( Aragaw, 2020 ; Okuku et al, 2021 ), coastal cities of South America ( Ardusso et al, 2021 ), and cities in Europe (e.g., Prata et al, 2021 ). But only recently, monitoring studies have been released, although remaining scarce.…”

Uncovering the release of micro/nanoplastics from disposable face masks at times of COVID-19

“…Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, discarded face masks are reported to litter city streets, flow through sewage channels, float in sea water until reaching the bottom ( Ardusso et al, 2021 , De-la-Torre et al, 2021 , Okuku et al, 2021 ), and risk evidences for local fauna were recently provided ( Boyle, 2020 , Gallo Neto et al, 2021 ). Under environmental conditions, plastic waste slowly degrade due to chemical, mechanical, and biological actions into micrometric and submicrometric plastic particles ( Frias and Nash, 2019 , Kwak and An, 2021 ).…”