Covid masks are choking the oceans [View all]

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As the Delta and other new Covid variants force us back into wearing masks, we need to pay attention to their proper disposal to keep them out of the environment.

Scientists estimate that over 1.6 BILLION masks ended up in the oceans. The polypropolene used in disposable masks can take up to 50 years to biodegrade.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/pandemic-plastic-is-flooding-the-oceans

The good news is that teams of MIT researchers and engineers are studying ways to reduce that waste by designing reusable masks and medical supplies.

In the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, N95 masks were in short supply. At many hospitals, health care workers were forced to wear one mask for a full day, instead of switching to a new one for each patient they saw. Later on, some hospitals, including MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, began using decontamination systems that use hydrogen peroxide vapor to sterilize masks. This allows one mask to be worn for a few days.

Last year, Traverso and his colleagues began developing a reusable N95 mask that is made of silicone rubber and contains an N95 filter that can be either discarded or sterilized after use. The masks are designed so they can be sterilized with heat or bleach and reused many times.

https://news.mit.edu/2021/covid-masks-environment-0720

In the meantime, we need to raise awareness of the environmental damage caused by carelessly tossed masks.