Study: Over 25,000 tons of COVID-related plastic waste pollutes oceans
Plastic debris and face masks on a beach in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Over 25,000 tons of pandemic-related plastic waste pollute the global ocean, according to a study published in the journal PNAS on Monday.
Why it matters: Plastic waste poses a major threat to marine life and ecosystems. COVID-19 only increased the demand for single-use plastic, "intensifying pressure on this already out-of-control problem," the researchers write.
- The world has generated over 8 million tons of pandemic-related plastic waste. Most of this waste comes from hospitals and mainly accumulates on beaches and coastal sediments.
Threat level: "The released plastics can be transported over long distances in the ocean, encounter marine wildlife, and potentially lead to injury or even death," the researchers said.
- "The plastic debris could also facilitate species invasion and transport of contaminants, including the COVID-19 virus," they added.
- In Brazil, scientists found a protective mask in a dead penguin's stomach, while other reports have documented fish entrapped in a medical glove.
For the record: A recent study estimated that 1.56 million face masks entered the oceans in 2020. The excess waste will serve a long-term risk, researchers caution.
The bottom line: "We find a long-lasting impact of the pandemic-associated waste release in the global ocean," the study states.
- "At the end of this century, the model suggests that almost all the pandemic-associated plastics end up in either the seabed (28.8%) or beaches (70.5%)."
- The findings reflect the need to improve medical waste management mechanisms, especially in developing countries, researchers note.
The big picture: Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water could more than double by 2030, per an October assessment by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
- Recycling won't cut it anymore, the report found.
- "It is vital that we use this momentum to focus on the opportunities for a clean, healthy and resilient ocean," UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said in a statement.
Worth noting: The study comes as world leaders tackle climate change at COP26 in Glasgow.
- More than 250,000 people have demanded greater action in protests around the world.