ArticleJournal of hazardous materials2021
Post COVID-19 pandemic: Biofragmentation and soil ecotoxicological effects of microplastics derived from face masks.
Article in Journal of hazardous materials, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 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
54 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 179 citations in OpenAlex.
- Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of polypropylene micro- and nanoplastics from surgical masks in amphibian and echinoderm models.Ecotoxicology (London, England) · 2026Article
- Characterization of Asphalt Binder Properties Modified with One-Time Use Masks: Zero Shear Viscosity, Fatigue Life, and Low-Temperature Performance.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Micro- and nanoplastic toxicity in humans: Exposure pathways, cellular effects, and mitigation strategies.Toxicology reports · 2025Review
- Unveiling the toxicity of micro-nanoplastics: A systematic exploration of understanding environmental and health implications.Toxicology reports · 2025Review
- Electret Nonwoven Structures for High-Efficiency Air Filtration, Produced Using the Blow Spinning Technique.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Understanding of environmental pollution and its anthropogenic impacts on biological resources during the COVID-19 period.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2024Review
- Recycling facemasks into civil construction material to manage waste generated during COVID-19.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2024Article
- Impacts of Plastics on Plant Development: Recent Advances and Future Research Directions.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Personal protective equipment-derived pollution during Covid-19 era: A critical review of ecotoxicology impacts, intervention strategies, and future challenges.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Global face mask pollution: threats to the environment and wildlife, and potential solutions.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Article
- Microplastics in soils during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sources, migration and transformations, and remediation technologies.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Personal protective equipment and micro-nano plastics: A review of an unavoidable interrelation for a global well-being hazard.Hygiene and environmental health advances · 2023Review
- Estimation and sensitivity analysis of a COVID-19 model considering the use of face mask and vaccination.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Current knowledge on the presence, biodegradation, and toxicity of discarded face masks in the environment.Journal of environmental chemical engineering · 2023Review
- Post-pandemic micro/nanoplastic pollution: Toward a sustainable management.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Magnetically boosted 1D photoactive microswarm for COVID-19 face mask disruption.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Recent insights into uptake, toxicity, and molecular targets of microplastics and nanoplastics relevant to human health impacts.iScience · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, used face masks have increasingly littered the environment and are causes for concern since they are commonly made of plastics such as polypropylene. Understanding production of microplastics from face masks is essential for predicting the post COVID-19 pandemic impact on the soil ecosystem. We investigated the generation of nanofibers from meltblown face mask filters (MB filters) and their adverse effects on soil species, particularly the earthworm and springtail. Results of MB filter soil bioassays at a high concentration (1000 mg/kg dry soil) suggest inhibited reproduction and stunted growth in springtails, decreased intracellular esterase activity in earthworm coelomocytes, and inhibited spermatogenesis in male earthworm reproductive tissues. Moreover, it was estimated that generation of nanofibers from microfibers and fragments of MB filters might occur in the soil ecosystem post COVID-19. This study does not oppose the use of face masks but aims to encourage appropriate disposal of the masks. Preservation of human health and the ecosystem should be prioritized even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.