Nano Plastics from Disposable Face Masks – Need for Awareness

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the entire World to impose a lockdown. Due to the lockdown measures and shutdown of industries, the planet had a good opportunity to reduce its pollution in terms of air quality.

- Monikandon Sukumaran,* Kesavan Devarayan Ramar Marimuthu

The decrease in air pollution is viewed as beneficial especially in the areas which are highly polluted due to anthropogenic activities. But only a few scientists and environmentalists have concern on the increase in pollution which is due to nano plastics. In particular, nano plastic has increased due to the discarded disposable plastic face masks (DPFs). Many are unaware of the nano plastic pollution and even have not visualized the particular cause for the possible mechanism of nano plastic and its interaction in the environment. The DPFs contribute a significant amount of nano plastics in to the environment. From the COVID 19 pandemic problems of discarded DPFs are increasing and the recent studies done by numerous researchers has revealed that there are a number of harmful pollutants including the nano plastics in the DPFs.

Disposable Plastic Face masks and their contribution to pollution