Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review
With the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), disposable face masks (DFMs) have caused negative environmental impacts. DFMs will release microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) during environmental degradation. However, few studies reveal the release proc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005712 |
| _version_ | 1797987307283808256 |
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| author | Minghui Li Zongkun Hou Run Meng Shilei Hao Bochu Wang |
| author_facet | Minghui Li Zongkun Hou Run Meng Shilei Hao Bochu Wang |
| author_sort | Minghui Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), disposable face masks (DFMs) have caused negative environmental impacts. DFMs will release microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) during environmental degradation. However, few studies reveal the release process of MPs/NPs from masks in the natural environment. This review presents the current knowledge on the abiotic and biotic degradation of DFMs. Though MPs and NPs have raised serious concerns about their potentially detrimental effects on human health, little attention was paid to their impacts on human health from DFM-derived MPs and NPs. The potential toxicity of mask-derived MPs/NPs, such as gastrointestinal toxicity, pneumotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, reproductive and transgenerational toxicity, and the underlying mechanism will be discussed in the present study. MPs/NPs serve as carriers of toxic chemicals and pathogens, leading to their bioaccumulation and adverse effects of biomagnification by food chains. Given human experiments are facing ethical issues and animal studies cannot completely reveal human characteristics, advanced human organoids will provide promising models for MP/NP risk assessment. Moreover, in-depth investigations are required to identify the release of MPs/NPs from discarded face masks and characterize their transportation through the food chains. More importantly, innovative approaches and eco-friendly strategies are urgently demanded to reduce DFM-derived MP/NP pollution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:45:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fbeef45df2d348e48a98408aa502a254 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:45:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-fbeef45df2d348e48a98408aa502a2542022-12-22T04:36:18ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202022-12-01170107644Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical reviewMinghui Li0Zongkun Hou1Run Meng2Shilei Hao3Bochu Wang4Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China; Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing 400038, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaKey Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China; Corresponding authors.Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China; Corresponding authors.With the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), disposable face masks (DFMs) have caused negative environmental impacts. DFMs will release microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) during environmental degradation. However, few studies reveal the release process of MPs/NPs from masks in the natural environment. This review presents the current knowledge on the abiotic and biotic degradation of DFMs. Though MPs and NPs have raised serious concerns about their potentially detrimental effects on human health, little attention was paid to their impacts on human health from DFM-derived MPs and NPs. The potential toxicity of mask-derived MPs/NPs, such as gastrointestinal toxicity, pneumotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, reproductive and transgenerational toxicity, and the underlying mechanism will be discussed in the present study. MPs/NPs serve as carriers of toxic chemicals and pathogens, leading to their bioaccumulation and adverse effects of biomagnification by food chains. Given human experiments are facing ethical issues and animal studies cannot completely reveal human characteristics, advanced human organoids will provide promising models for MP/NP risk assessment. Moreover, in-depth investigations are required to identify the release of MPs/NPs from discarded face masks and characterize their transportation through the food chains. More importantly, innovative approaches and eco-friendly strategies are urgently demanded to reduce DFM-derived MP/NP pollution.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005712Disposable face masksMicroplasticsNanoplasticsHuman healthToxicity assessment |
| spellingShingle | Minghui Li Zongkun Hou Run Meng Shilei Hao Bochu Wang Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review Environment International Disposable face masks Microplastics Nanoplastics Human health Toxicity assessment |
| title | Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review |
| title_full | Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review |
| title_fullStr | Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review |
| title_short | Unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask-derived micro/nanoplastics during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario: A critical review |
| title_sort | unraveling the potential human health risks from used disposable face mask derived micro nanoplastics during the covid 19 pandemic scenario a critical review |
| topic | Disposable face masks Microplastics Nanoplastics Human health Toxicity assessment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005712 |
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