Skip to content
Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Primary Menu Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

Hindi News, हिंदी समाचार, Samachar, Breaking News, Latest Khabar – Pratirodh

  • Home
  • Newswires
  • Politics & Society
  • The New Feudals
  • World View
  • Arts And Aesthetics
  • For The Record
  • About Us
  • Featured

Scientists Find Dangerous Pollutants In Disposable Face Masks

May 5, 2021 | Pratirodh Bureau

FILE PHOTO: Migrant workers wear protective masks as they look out from the window of a train upon their arrival at a railway station on the outskirts of Kolkata on May 5, 2020

Scientists at Swansea University, Wales, UK, have uncovered potentially dangerous chemical pollutants that are released from disposable face masks when submerged in water.

The research reveals high levels of pollutants, including lead, antimony, and copper, within the silicon-based and plastic fibres of common disposable face masks.

The work is supported by the Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT) and the SPECIFIC Innovation & Knowledge Centre.

Project lead Dr Sarper Sarp of Swansea University College of Engineering said: “All of us need to keep wearing masks as they are essential in ending the pandemic. But we also urgently need more research and regulation on mask production, so we can reduce any risks to the environment and human health.”

Outlined in a recent paper, the tests carried out by the research team used a variety of masks — from standard plain face masks to novelty and festive masks for children with many currently being sold in UK retail outlets.

The rise in single-use masks, and the associated waste, due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been documented as a new cause of pollution. The study aimed to explore this direct link — with investigations to identify the level of toxic substances present.

The findings reveal significant levels of pollutants in all the masks tested — with micro/nanoparticles and heavy metals released into the water during all tests. Researchers conclude this will have a substantial environmental impact and, in addition, raise the question of the potential damage to public health — warning that repeated exposure could be hazardous as the substances found have known links to cell death, genotoxicity and cancer formation.

To combat this, the team advise further research and subsequent regulations be put in place in the manufacturing and testing process.

Dr Sarper Sarp continued: “The production of disposable plastic face masks (DPFs) in China alone has reached approximately 200 million a day, in a global effort to tackle the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, improper and unregulated disposal of these DPFs is a plastic pollution problem we are already facing and will only continue to intensify.”

“There is a concerning amount of evidence that suggests that DPFs waste can potentially have a substantial environmental impact by releasing pollutants simply by exposing them to water. Many of the toxic pollutants found in our research have bio-accumulative properties when released into the environment and our findings show that DPFs could be one of the main sources of these environmental contaminants during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“It is, therefore, imperative that stricter regulations need to be enforced during manufacturing and disposal/recycling of DPFs to minimise the environmental impact.”

“There is also a need to understand the impact of such particle leaching on public health. One of the main concerns with these particles is that they were easily detached from face masks and leached into the water with no agitation, which suggests that these particles are mechanically unstable and readily available to be detached,” Dr Sarp added.

“Therefore, a full investigation is necessary to determine the quantities and potential impacts of these particles leaching into the environment, and the levels being inhaled by users during normal breathing. This is a significant concern, especially for health care professionals, key workers, and children who are required to wear masks for large proportions of the working or school day.”

(ANI)

Tags: disposable plastic face masks, DPFs, environment, pollution, Pratirodh, Swansea University

Continue Reading

Previous How Bhopal Driver Turned Auto Into Mini Ambulance
Next Covid-19 Forecasters Warn India Deaths May Double In Coming Weeks

More Stories

  • Featured

No Link With Udaipur Killing Accused: Raj BJP Minority Wing

9 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Women’s Reproductive Rights In The Shadow Of Roe V. Wade Verdict

13 hours ago Shalini
  • Featured

Floods In Assam Lead To Massive Destruction, Cripple Life

16 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau

Recent Posts

  • No Link With Udaipur Killing Accused: Raj BJP Minority Wing
  • Women’s Reproductive Rights In The Shadow Of Roe V. Wade Verdict
  • Floods In Assam Lead To Massive Destruction, Cripple Life
  • Delhi HC Notice To Police On Zubair’s Plea
  • ‘Why Different Treatment For Farmers & Large Businesses?’
  • Ban On Single-Use Plastic Items Kicks In
  • Improving Road Safety Could Save 30K Lives In India Annually: Study
  • At What Point Is A Disease Deemed To Be A Global Threat?
  • Twitter Accounts Linked To The Farm Movement Withheld: SKM
  • ‘Pandemic Is Changing But It Is Not Over’
  • Chopra Set To Win Medal In Stockholm Event
  • Bonn Climate Talks End In ‘Empty Pages’
  • Civilian Deaths In Russia-Ukraine Conflict Very Disturbing: India
  • Kanhaiya Lal Went To Police Claiming Threat To His Life
  • ‘Journalists Shouldn’t Be Jailed For What They Write, Tweet, Say’
  • ‘Muslims Will Never Allow Taliban Mindset To Surface In India’
  • Recording Mangrove Damage From Cyclones In The Sundarbans
  • Editors’ Guild Condemns Mohd Zubair’s Arrest
  • US SC’s Abortion Verdict Reverses Decades Of Progress: Activists
  • JNUTA, Others Demand Teesta’s Release

Search

Main Links

  • Home
  • Newswires
  • Politics & Society
  • The New Feudals
  • World View
  • Arts And Aesthetics
  • For The Record
  • About Us

Related Stroy

  • Featured

No Link With Udaipur Killing Accused: Raj BJP Minority Wing

9 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Women’s Reproductive Rights In The Shadow Of Roe V. Wade Verdict

13 hours ago Shalini
  • Featured

Floods In Assam Lead To Massive Destruction, Cripple Life

16 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

Delhi HC Notice To Police On Zubair’s Plea

16 hours ago Pratirodh Bureau
  • Featured

‘Why Different Treatment For Farmers & Large Businesses?’

1 day ago Pratirodh Bureau

Recent Posts

  • No Link With Udaipur Killing Accused: Raj BJP Minority Wing
  • Women’s Reproductive Rights In The Shadow Of Roe V. Wade Verdict
  • Floods In Assam Lead To Massive Destruction, Cripple Life
  • Delhi HC Notice To Police On Zubair’s Plea
  • ‘Why Different Treatment For Farmers & Large Businesses?’
Copyright © All rights reserved. | CoverNews by AF themes.