Why You Should Not Burn Your Covid-19 Masks. Here Are The Potential Health Hazards.

[sheshe2]

Here are a few highlights.

Many of the masks appeared to be blue surgical face masks, which are often primarily made of polypropylene, a type of plastic. Polypropylene is widely used as it is also considered “food safe” and is used in a lot of plastic food packaging. But like many types of plastic if burned, release lots of toxic and harmful chemicals. Both children and adults were pictured standing close to the barrel as the masks burned inside, giving off a lot of smoke. So what chemicals were likely to be in that smoke, which the protesters were breathing in?

Link to tweet

snip

According to the paper, burning polypropylene results in the formation of dozens of different chemicals, some pretty well known and not of concern in this scenario, such as water and carbon dioxide, but some which are certainly toxic. These include formaldehyde, most well-known for preserving biological specimens, acetone- the strong smelling compound used in nail polish remover and methanol, the main component of anti-freeze. Others released by burning polypropylene include xylene, which is used in some laboratories to prepare tissues for microscopy, but only in a specialized fume hood due to its toxic properties, and benzene, a dangerous chemical found in car exhaust and cigarette smoke. Several chemicals such as toluene, found in paint thinner, were also detected. Many of these compounds can cause eye irritation and respiratory problems when breathed in and some of the chemicals found are also listed as probable, or possible carcinogens - linked to the development of cancers.

lthough concerning that anyone would be voluntarily breathing in fumes from burning plastic, thankfully, this particular burning barrel of masks was outside where airflow will hopefully have dispersed the toxic fumes quickly before they could cause any significant damage to the children crowded around the barrel.

However, this was not the only hazard the protestors were exposed to yesterday, as the children appeared to be picking up soiled surgical masks with their bare hands, potentially exposing them to a host of harmful pathogens from the original owners of the masks. In a hospital setting, used surgical masks from patients or staff are often disposed of in biohazardous waste bags which are later incinerated in specialist facilities for this purpose, which also trap and filter any dangerous fumes. Both the CDC and WHO recommend that masks are not re-worn once soiled and are either disposed of, or appropriately cleaned if possible.

Neither organization mentions burning masks in their pandemic guidelines, but for at-home disposal of masks, the World Health Organization recommends that masks are discarded in home garbage receptacles, prior to thoroughly washing hands.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2021/03/07/why-you-should-not-burn-your-covid-19-masks-here-are-the-potential-health-hazards/?sh=14e691466f3b

[applegrove]

1. I hope that makes all the news websites who posted the video on the right.

[sheshe2]

4. It is a slap in the face...

It is a slap in the face to every healthcare worker that had to do without PPE thanks to trump. My niece was give her PPE for her work in ICU early on. It was a Rain slicker worn backwards and a mask that should have been worn once, reused.

Gah!

[applegrove]

5. And dangerous for kids to be inhaling as it burns. Just sick.

[Marie Marie]

2. The stupid are even stupider than we thought.

[magicarpet]

3. Suspect those are used masks ?

If handled after assorted people used those masks there is a potential that the Covid Virus could be on some of those masks.

Did the children sanitize and disinfect their hands immediately thereafter that fascist stunt ?