Wet wipes and disposable surgical masks are becoming new sources of fiber microplastic pollution during global COVID-19

Hu, Tong; Shen, Maocai; Tang, Wangwang

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-17408-3

Cited by 52 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…had become mandatory due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the pressure of solid waste pollution on the environment. In this period, the use of products such as wet wipes, bottle hand sanitizers, and disinfectants has also increased (Hu et al 2022 ). For hygiene reasons, the use of single-use plastic cups, plates, and cutlery considerably increased as well (Vanapalli et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solid waste composition and COVID-19-induced changes in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey

Özşeker

Terzi

Erüz

2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The composition and abundance of solid waste and the effect of COVID-19 measures were studied in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey. Solid waste items were collected annually for 5 years from 2017 to 2021 from seven stations located in Borçka Dam Lake (B1–B4) and Murgul Stream (M1–M3) in the Artvin Province. The highest densities by number and weight were recorded at M3 in 2020 (5.72 items/m 2 ) and M1 in 2020 (0.39 kg/m 2 ), respectively. However, no significant difference in density was recorded ( p < 0.05) between the years. Plastic was the most abundant waste material by number of items in all the stations with a percentage contribution varying between 25.47 and 88.89%. There was a considerable increase in medical items during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and ANOSIM results revealed visually and statistically significant differences in solid waste composition between the years and stations. The dissimilarity between the years was driven by plastic and medical waste. The main sources of solid waste were river transportation (22.93%), improper disposal (20.74%), aquaculture activities (16.42%), and recreational and tourism activities (14.72%). The results of our study can be a baseline for transportation models, local administrations, and non-governmental organizations. Besides, the current waste management measures in Turkey are not effective in preventing waste accumulation in inland aquatic systems such as the Borçka Dam Lake and Murgul Stream. Furthermore, these findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced solid waste composition and increased its abundance in the study area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solid waste composition and COVID-19-induced changes in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey

Özşeker

Terzi

Erüz

2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…Up to this point, only six Indonesian freshwater microplastic investigations have been completed, one river on Sumatera island and five rivers on Java island ( Cordova et al, 2022 ; Sulistyowati et al, 2022 ). Baseline data on microplastics is critical for environmental management in Indonesia ( Riani and Cordova, 2022 ), particularly in light of the probability of an increase in microplastics in the aquatic environment as a result of the usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Hu et al, 2022 ; Ray et al, 2022 ). Consequently, it is imperative that we expand our understanding of urban river pollutant microplastics and develop effective ways and strategies to alleviate the conflicting effects of microplastic pollution on the ecosystem and human health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal heterogeneity and a link to precipitation in the release of microplastic during COVID-19 outbreak from the Greater Jakarta area to Jakarta Bay, Indonesia

Cordova

Ulumuddin

Purbonegoro

et al. 2022

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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“…WWs also persist in sewage systems for a long time due to their synthetic fiber contents [ 12 ]. People are unaware of the contents of WWs they purchase; thus, the prevention of the disposal of these microplastic wastes before they become a potential source of environmental pollution in the coming years needs to be urgently addressed [ 13 ]. Having been settled into our daily usage patterns, such characteristics of WWs and substances used within have only recently begun to be disclosed publicly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the WHO [ 19 ] reported that a proper hand cleansing requires about 40–60 s of contact with soap and water, it is a false perception that you can attain the same level of hygiene with WWs in a shorter time. Some recent studies have demonstrated that such an increase in the use of WWs stems from the newfound attention to hygiene as a result of the pandemic [ 13 , 17 ]. However, this type of hygiene practice and the need for cleaning in a short time also appear to be a usage habit passed on to children through the practices of their parents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generic foresight model in changing hygiene habits with the pandemic: use of wet wipes in next generations

Köklü

Ateş

Deveci

et al. 2022

J Mater Cycles Waste Manag

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The vast use of wet wipes has now become a habitude, particularly following the altered perception of cleanliness during the pandemic and the encouragement towards using WW (wet wipe) to ensure parent’s and children’s hygiene. This study primarily aims to create a projection of the WW waste that will emerge in Turkey as a result of the promoted consumption by children who are predicted to retain the WW usage practices of their parents. In line with this habit adopted by children, the number of daily WW usage which is currently around 210 million is expected to rise to over 250 million between the years 2040 and 2060, depending on how the children are guided by their parent’s existing habits. In this study, related calculations were made with FT-IR spectroscopy, taking into account the functional bond structure and percentage distribution of polymers in WWs. In this way, it is detected that 360 T, 568 T, and 623 T polymer materials would be thrown into the environment per day in 2021, 2040 and 2060, respectively. The damage of chemicals in WW content, employed at various concentrations, to the ecosystem structure is predicted and measures to be taken are outlined. Graphical abstract

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Wet wipes and disposable surgical masks are becoming new sources of fiber microplastic pollution during global COVID-19

Cited by 52 publications

References 64 publications

Solid waste composition and COVID-19-induced changes in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey

Solid waste composition and COVID-19-induced changes in an inland water ecosystem in Turkey

Seasonal heterogeneity and a link to precipitation in the release of microplastic during COVID-19 outbreak from the Greater Jakarta area to Jakarta Bay, Indonesia

Generic foresight model in changing hygiene habits with the pandemic: use of wet wipes in next generations

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