On May 29, 2021, a television news report featured interviews with scientists who said that current estimates are that 1.5 billion one-time-only-use face masks are polluting Earth's waterways and oceans. One scientist said that one plastic mask submerged in water will decompose into tiny bits known as micro-plastic in one hour's time. Film clips showed large fishes ingesting the bits of micro-plastic. The newscast anchor observed that the next step in the food chain is us humans. So, evidently, in the aftermath of the pre-vaccination pandemic, humans are eating fish, and therefore, human are consuming deteriorated plastic face masks. Is this harmful?
Hi Nancy Ann Watanabe ,
Covid'19 isn't only affecting us directly, but also indirectly by the plastic pollution growing day by day because of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The threat is relevant and serious. Especially the masks, we use them, throw them on natural areas, and returning to our meals after the degradation and the ingestion by the edible organisms. They contribute to the increase of fibers (the most abundant MPs) in aquatic ecosystems. Many investigations reported MPs in our fecal matter, drinking waters, and of course the edible marine organisms. With the increase of PPE use, the number of MPs will rise up too...
See the attached reference:
Article What we need to know about PPE associated with the COVID-19 ...
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