A close-up of a discarded used medical face mask drifting underwater in the Adriatic Sea Share on Pinterest
Across 11 countries, about ii million littered PPE items were nerveless in the first one-half of the COVID-19 pandemic. Image credit: Andrey Nekrasov/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been an essential part of efforts to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and prevent COVID-19 among healthcare professionals and the general public.
  • The increased use of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the ascent of PPE litter, such as masks, gloves, and wipes.
  • New research establish that across 11 countries studied, the number of masks that ended up every bit litter increased 84-fold from pre-pandemic levels.
  • Researchers stress that individuals and governments need to consider the environmental impacts of PPE use while notwithstanding ensuring public rubber.

All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the fourth dimension of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our alive updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-nineteen pandemic.

The COVID-nineteen pandemic has impacted all areas of life. People, organizations, and governments take tried to suit behavior to stay safe and minimize the risk of infection. One particular area of focus has been protection — nigh commonly via the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and gloves.

When people use PPE correctly, they can reduce their run a risk for severe disease or injury. All the same, information technology is also critical to consider how PPE impacts the surround.

A recent study in the journal Nature Sustainability found that litter from masks, gloves, and wipes has increased since the COVID-xix pandemic.

The study recommends that policies related to pandemics should incorporate measures to manage PPE waste. This may assist reduce the negative environmental impacts from the mismanagement of PPE.

The Occupational Prophylactic and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that PPE can help prevent illness and injury. People will apply different types of PPE based on the situation and need for protection.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) helps regulate how manufacturers make PPE to ensure information technology works correctly. PPE tin can help foreclose infectious materials from getting on a person's skin, optics, and olfactory organ. When people correctly use PPE, it tin help reduce the risk of spreading an disease from one person to another.

Examples of PPE include:

  • masks
  • gloves
  • face shields
  • goggles
  • protective clothing, such as gowns

The Centers for Illness Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that healthcare professionals treating people with COVID-19 wear N-95 masks, gowns, gloves, and centre protection such as face shields or goggles.

The CDC also has general recommendations related to mask use past the general public. Currently, information technology recommends that all people over the age of 2 wear masks in indoor public spaces.

While the CDC'south master focus has been on vaccination, it still promotes activities such as mask-wearing. For case, in a recent Facebook post, the CDC discusses a study demonstrating vaccine effectiveness. The bureau advocates the following:

"Protect yourself and your community past becoming fully vaccinated, receiving your booster dose when recommended, and engaging in recommended prevention steps (like wearing masks or physical distancing in indoor public places where spread is high or substantial)."

Other countries have developed similar recommendations regarding masks throughout the pandemic.

The written report'south researchers looked at the changes in litter levels regarding recommendations and announcements from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the policies and legislation adopted by 11 countries.

Researchers collected information from France, Germany, Kingdom of belgium, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand about litter levels from September 2022 through October 2022.

They used the "Litterati" app to collect their data, specifically measuring the level of litter from masks, gloves, and wipes.

Since the WHO declared COVID-nineteen a pandemic on January xxx, 2022, the researchers observed an increment in litter related to all types of PPE.

The amount of waste related to gloves recorded an initial spike and so a decline to nigh double pre-pandemic levels.

There was too a gradual increase in litter from wipes from March through August. The amount and then declined to about double pre-pandemic levels.

The primary point of interest was the increase in litter from face masks. The litter from masks increased 84 times compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Before the pandemic, at that place was well-nigh no litter related to masks.

Study author Dr. Keiron P. Roberts explained to Medical News Today:

"For the 11 countries studied from September 2022 to October 2022, nosotros reported [an over] 80-fold increase in the proportion of masks as collected litter. This represents an almost [8,400%] increase."

Researchers were then able to look at the adoption of specific COVID-19 policies in dissimilar countries and how these policies correlated with the increases in PPE litter.

One resource was the Oxford University Coronavirus Regime Response Tracker. They specifically looked at countries' policies related to mask-wearing and travel restrictions related to lockdowns.

They establish the litter from masks increased later on the introduction of mask legislation.

"Where mask legislation was nowadays, nosotros observed a pregnant increment in the proportion of mask litter. The written report helps to back up the anecdotal accounts we saw all too oftentimes last year and gives some justification as to why these items began to exist more than visible," Dr. Roberts told MNT.

Overall, the study provides evidence that the employ of PPE can bear upon the environment, infrastructure, and people, specially when people do non dispose of used PPE correctly.

This could lead to the following consequences:

  • littered PPE could spread SARS-CoV-2 to others shortly after removal
  • it can clog sewage systems and pollute areas, such every bit streams and rivers
  • it can serve as a choking hazard or entanglement outcome for animals
  • it tin can assistance spread pathogens and pollution

The researchers acknowledge that their study risks observational bias and other possible errors, such as the lack of a standard method for collecting litter items. But their findings overall prove an increase in litter related to COVID-nineteen and PPE apply.

Every bit the apply of masks volition likely continue, the risk for mask litter will remain, the study points out.

For that reason, the researchers encourage the adoption of policies and behaviors that tin can help reduce litter from PPE.

For example, agencies and governments tin can encourage reusable items where possible and provide appropriate disposal bins in areas where unmarried-use masks are required.

Dr. Roberts offered the following recommendation:

"Moving forward, and in light of tightening restrictions and mask requirements beyond the world, we demand to ensure continued mask apply while preventing them from condign litter. This is a dual responsibility of governments and the public. With governments providing stiff messaging and education on disposing masks and other items, likewise as supporting businesses to assist customers and patrons bin their masks after utilise, [they volition essentially aid] to provide the facilities in the right identify to do the correct thing."

However, Dr. Roberts ultimately noted that the responsibility lies with people making smart choices and choosing not to litter.