ArticleThe Science of the total environment2021
Neglected microplastics pollution in global COVID-19: Disposable surgical masks.
Article in The Science of the total environment, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Investigating the Release and Toxicity of Microplastics/Nanoplastics From Single-Use Plastic Bags to Zebrafish.Journal of applied toxicology : JAT · 2026Article
- Microplastic Pollution in the Environment: A Chemical Engineering Perspective on Sources, Fate, and Mitigation Strategies.Polymers · 2025Review
- Article
- The Fate of Microplastics, Derived from Disposable Masks, in Natural Aquatic Environments.Toxics · 2024Article
- Review
- Global face mask pollution: threats to the environment and wildlife, and potential solutions.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Post-Pandemic: Investigation of the Degradation of Various Commercial Masks in the Marine Environment.Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids · 2023Article
- Release of microplastics from disposable face mask in tropical climate.Regional studies in marine science · 2023Article
- Impact of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown on the urban litter and clean environment index.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Current knowledge on the presence, biodegradation, and toxicity of discarded face masks in the environment.Journal of environmental chemical engineering · 2023Review
- Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on microplastic abundance along the River Thames.Marine pollution bulletin · 2023Article
- Enhanced Filtration Efficiency of Natural Materials with the Addition of Electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) Fibres.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Disposable surgical masks affect the decomposition of Zostera muelleri.Marine pollution bulletin · 2023Article
- Facemask: Protection or threat?Marine pollution bulletin · 2023Article
- Recent insights into uptake, toxicity, and molecular targets of microplastics and nanoplastics relevant to human health impacts.iScience · 2023Review
- Carbon footprint assessment of face masks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: Based on different protective performance and applicable scenarios.Journal of cleaner production · 2023Article
- Environmental impacts of covid-19 pandemic: Release of microplastics, organic contaminants and trace metals from face masks under ambient environmental conditions.Environmental research · 2023Article
- Abundance and characterization of personal protective equipment (PPE) polluting Kish Island, Persian Gulf.The Science of the total environment · 2023Article
- Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There have been many studies on the microplastic pollution, influence and control mechanisms of different plastic products. The potential harm of microplastic pollution to the environment has been confirmed. With the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 in the world, disposable surgical masks as effective and cheap protective medical equipment have been widely used by the public. Disposable masks have been a new social norm, but they must have a sense of environmental responsibilities. The random disposal of masks may result in new and greater microplastic pollution, because masks made of polymer materials would release microplastics after entering the environment. Current results showed that masks are a potential and easily overlooked source of environmental microplastics. The release amount of microplastics in the static water by one mask was 360 items, and with the increase of vibration rate, the release amount also increased. The addition of organic solvents (detergent and alcohol) in water would increase the release of microplastics from masks. When the mask became fragments, the ability to release microplastic fibers into the environment was greatly improved due to the increase of exposure area. After two months of natural weathering, the masks become very fragile pieces and microplastics. A fully weathered mask could release several billions of microplastic fibers into the aquatic environment once these fragile fragments enter the water without reservation. The rapid growth of mask production and consumption and improper disposable is worrying. It is urgent to understand the potential environmental risks and significance of masks.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.