Disposable face masks used during Covid have left chemical timebomb, research suggests

"The surge in the use of disposable face masks during the Covid pandemic has left a chemical timebomb that could harm humans, animals and the environment, research suggests. Billions of tonnes of plastic face masks created to protect people from the spread of the virus are now breaking down, releasing microplastics and chemical additives including endocrine disruptors, the research found."

"They left newly bought masks of several different kinds for 24 hours in flasks containing 150ml of purified water, then filtered the liquid through a membrane to see what came out. Every mask examined by Bogush and Kourtchev leached microplastics, but it was the FFP2 and FFP3 masks marketed as the gold-standard protection against the transmission of the virus that leached the most, releasing four to six times as many."

"It has been estimated that during the height of the coronavirus pandemic 129bn disposable face masks, mostly made from polypropylene and other plastics, were being used every month around the world. With no recycling stream, most ended up either in landfill or littered in streets, parks, beaches, waterways and rural areas, where they have now begun to degrade."

Disposable face masks from the Covid pandemic are degrading and releasing microplastics and chemical additives, including endocrine disruptors, into terrestrial and aquatic environments. An estimated 129 billion disposable masks were used monthly during the pandemic, mostly polypropylene and other plastics, with no effective recycling stream, so most entered landfill or became litter. Laboratory immersion tests showed every mask type released microplastic particles into purified water within 24 hours. FFP2 and FFP3 masks released four to six times more microplastics than other types. Resulting particles and additives vary widely in size and composition, posing potential long-term risks to human, animal and ecosystem health.

Read at www.theguardian.com