The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and associated environmental challenges: A study on Dhaka, Bangladesh

Personal protective equipment-derived pollution during Covid-19 era: A critical review of ecotoxicology impacts, intervention strategies, and future challenges

“…The articles that were looked at showed that surgical masks, gloves, and face shields were the most common types of PPE in the marine environment ( Shammi and Tareq, 2021 ; Monolina et al, 2022 ). These items are primarily made of fiber materials, which can take a long time to degrade and pose a significant threat to marine life ( Gunasekaran et al, 2022 ; Mehtab et al, 2022 ).…”

“… Hasan et al (2021) Face mask Bangladesh Changing in Microbiome, water quality deterioration, micro gel formation, and ecosystem alteration Reproduction hamper, structural damages, and growth inhibition Oxidative stress Cancer, neurotoxicity, immuno-suppression, physiological burdens, and hormonal disruption Jayasinghe et al (2021) Plastic waste Sri Lanka - - - Human health impacts Kannan et al (2023) PPE, masks, and gloves India Pathogen and chemical contamination Ecotoxicological problems Non-native species Health impact Mallick et al (2021) Plastic products India Plastic additives release contaminated chemical matter into ambient soil that percolates into the groundwater and negatively impacts the aquatic environment (rivers, lakes, oceans) with terrestrial ecosystems - - Infectious to diseases and resulted in health risks and pollution Marnn et al (2021) Waste masks Myanmar Death of aquatic animals, threatening wildlife animals, aquatic animals. Loss of ecosystem Air pollution - Mehtab et al (2022) PPE Bangladesh - - - Endangering the health and safety of waste collectors, waste collectors' occupational health and safety concerns are completely ignored Monolina et al (2022) PPEs Dhaka, Bangladesh - Restrictions on urban transportation and industrial activities during the lockdown have cut down energy consumption The lockdown and shutdowns inevitably have had some direct impacts on cleaner air It does not provide any insight into the environmental impacts of the healthcare and medical wastes of the pandemic. Rakib et al (2021) PPEs Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Fishing activity contributed to PPE pollution at a lower level and illegal dumping Decreased land-based activity Waste burning lack of environmental a...…”

“… With the increase of inappropriate disposal of PPEs, the possibility of virus transmission increases. Monolina et al (2022) A major scope for studying the carbon footprint aspects of plastic-made PPEs. Population forecast and random sampling method Proper waste management Study about carbon- footprint The notable aspects of the environmental challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic for strengthening the SDGs framework Dharmaraj et al (2021) This study focuses on thermochemical processes, particularly pyrolysis, to treat Covid-19 waste, its sources, and collection and management strategies.…”

Switching from disposable to reusable PPE

“…Unicef estimated that 2.2 billion surgical masks, 1.1 billion gloves, 13 million goggles, and 8.8 million face shields were needed to protect against covid-19 during the first year of the pandemic 8. Global production of healthcare PPE increased by approximately 300-400% during the pandemic, with the steepest increases in surgical masks 5910. While demand for PPE has decreased relative to its peak during the pandemic, the global market for PPE, which was worth more than $52.7bn (£41.7bn) in 2019, is estimated to be growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% and will reach over $92.5bn by 2027 11…”