ReviewThe Science of the total environment2022
Environmental risks of polymer materials from disposable face masks linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review in The Science of the total environment, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 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
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Responses of gut microbial community and metabolic function to disposable face mask of Zophobas atratus larvae.Advanced biotechnology · 2026Article
- Face mask littering: environmental impacts, regulatory challenges, and AI-driven waste management strategies for the postpandemic era.Turkish journal of medical sciences · 2026Review
- Characterization of Asphalt Binder Properties Modified with One-Time Use Masks: Zero Shear Viscosity, Fatigue Life, and Low-Temperature Performance.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Release study of microplastic fibres and heavy metals from disposable surgical face masks in aqueous medium: the effect of physio-chemical factors and shear forces.RSC advances · 2025Article
- Waste Surgical Masks as Precursors of Activated Carbon: A Circular Economy Approach to Mitigate the Impact of Microplastics and Emerging Dye Contaminants.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the kidney and cardiovascular system.Nature reviews. Nephrology · 2025Review
- Synthesis and Antiviral Activity of Nanowire Polymers Activated with Ag, Zn, and Cu Nanoclusters.Pharmaceutics · 2025Article
- Article
- Article
- Polyethylene Micro/Nanoplastics Exposure Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial and Alveolar Epithelial Cells.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Article
- Material flow analysis-based assessment of polypropylene-fiber-containing microplastics released from disposable masks: Characterizing distribution in the environmental media.The Science of the total environment · 2023Article
- The safety of telemedicine clinics as an alternative to in-person preoperative assessment for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with benign gallbladder disease: a retrospective cohort study.Patient safety in surgery · 2023Article
- Global face mask pollution: threats to the environment and wildlife, and potential solutions.The Science of the total environment · 2023Review
- Development of a Layer Made of Natural Fibers to Improve the Ecological Performance of the Face Mask Type II.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Electrospun nanofibers for medical face mask with protection capabilities against viruses: State of the art and perspective for industrial scale-up.Applied materials today · 2023Review
- Research progress in preparation, properties, and applications of medical protective fiber materials.Applied materials today · 2023Review
- Current knowledge on the presence, biodegradation, and toxicity of discarded face masks in the environment.Journal of environmental chemical engineering · 2023Review
- Regulation of polylactic acid using irradiation and preparation of PLA-SiORSC advances · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The indispensable role of plastic products in our daily life is highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic again. Disposable face masks, made of polymer materials, as effective and cheap personal protective equipment (PPE), have been extensively used by the public to slow down the viral transmission. The repercussions of this have generated million tons of plastic waste being littered into the environment because of the improper disposal and mismanagement amid. And plastic waste can release microplastics (MPs) with the help of physical, chemical and biological processes, which is placing a huge MPs contamination burden on the ecosystem. In this work, the knowledge regarding to the combined effects of MPs and pollutants from the release of face masks and the impacts of wasted face masks and MPs on the environment (terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem) was systematically discussed. In view of these, some green technologies were put forward to reduce the amounts of discarded face masks in the environment, therefore minimizing MPs pollution at its source. Moreover, some recommendations for future research directions were proposed based on the remaining knowledge gaps. In a word, MPs pollution linked to face masks should be a focus worldwide.
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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.