Face masks: a COVID-19 protector or environmental contaminant?

Dey, Sukhendu; Samanta, Palas; Dutta, Deblina; Kundu, Debajyoti; Ghosh, Apurba Ratan; Kumar, Sunil

doi:10.1007/s11356-023-29063-x

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…It has been estimated that they produced between 150 000 and 390 000 tons of waste per year and 173 000 microfibres per day. 7 Technological advances in mask manufacture to improve their effectiveness may produce further environmental problems. 8 If it is thought that mask wearing is an easy and painless way to reduce transmission, it is probably a myth.…”

Section: Infection and Transmission Masksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Covid myths persist despite evidence to refute them

Woodhouse

2023

Trends Urol & Men's Health

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Section: Infection and Transmission Masksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Covid myths persist despite evidence to refute them

Woodhouse

2023

Trends Urol & Men's Health

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“…At the same time, traditional polymer materials used for filtration media are typically derived from non-renewable oil sources. Once used, these materials can only be incinerated or disposed of in landfills, creating an environmental burden [22]. As a result, there is a growing concern for the development and production of environmentally friendly nonwoven filtration materials [23,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Poly(Lactic Acid)@TiO2 Electrospun Membrane Decorated with Metal–Organic Frameworks for Efficient Air Filtration and Bacteriostasis

Lin,

Shen,

Qian

et al. 2024

Polymers

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The development of high-performance filtration materials is essential for the effective removal of airborne particles, and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) anchored to organic polymer matrices are considered to be one of the most promising porous adsorbents for air pollutants. Nowadays, most air filters are generally based on synthetic fiber polymers derived from petroleum residues and have limited functionality, so the use of MOFs in combination with nanofiber air filters has received a lot of attention. Here, a conjugated electrostatic spinning method is demonstrated for the one-step preparation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibrous membranes with a bimodal diameter distribution and the anchoring of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) by the introduction of TiO2 and in situ generation to construct favorable multiscale fibers and rough structures. The prepared PLA/TZ maintained a good PM2.5 capture efficiency of 99.97%, a filtration efficiency of 96.43% for PM0.3, and a pressure drop of 96.0 Pa, with the highest quality factor being 0.08449 Pa−1. Additionally, ZIF-8 was uniformly generated on the surface of PLA and TiO2 nanofibers, obtaining a roughened structure and a larger specific surface area. An enhanced filtration retention effect and electrostatic interactions, as well as active free radicals, can be generated for the deep inactivation of bacteria. Compared with the unmodified membrane, PLA/TZ prepared antibacterial characteristics induced by photocatalysis and Zn2+ release, with excellent bactericidal effects against S. aureus and E. coli. Overall, this work may provide a promising approach for the development of efficient biomass-based filtration materials with antimicrobial properties.

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