Lee Minha, Kim Heejung
Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022 Mar 3;12(5):851. doi: 10.3390/nano12050851.
The world is suffering from aggravating, waste-generated consequences, and the contribution of microplastics to this problem is only increasing. A contributing factor to increased microplastic usage is the change in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) from specific use in limited locations (e.g., hospitals) to general use in widespread locations to protect against the current COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in an overflow of microfiber waste from homes, schools, streets, and elsewhere, in every country. While various institutes have issued warnings regarding increasing PPE waste, there is no positive indication of an end to the pandemic in the near future. In this review, we examine the impact of the pandemic on microplastic production, consumption, and disposal, and suggest strategies for lessening environmental pollution. In preparation for the worst-case scenario in which PPE becomes a new normal (in the COVID-19 era), it is recommended that governments and other responsible organisations set up a structured monitoring system for the distribution and disposal of PPE to ensure the most effective waste management possible for continuous sustainable development.
世界正遭受着日益严重的、由废弃物产生的后果，而微塑料对这一问题的影响还在不断加剧。微塑料使用量增加的一个促成因素是个人防护装备（PPE）的使用发生了变化，从在有限场所（如医院）的特定用途，转变为在广泛场所的普遍使用，以防范当前的新冠疫情。这导致了每个国家的家庭、学校、街道和其他地方都出现了微纤维废弃物泛滥的情况。尽管各机构已就个人防护装备废弃物不断增加发出警告，但近期内疫情结束尚无积极迹象。在本综述中，我们研究了疫情对微塑料生产、消费和处置的影响，并提出了减少环境污染的策略。为应对个人防护装备成为新常态（在新冠疫情时代）的最坏情况做准备，建议政府和其他责任组织建立一个结构化的个人防护装备分发和处置监测系统，以确保尽可能有效地进行废物管理，实现持续的可持续发展。
