Improper disposal of face shields in the environment in times of Covid-19 pandemic André Vieira Kuhn, Helen Sadauskas-Henrique

Abstract

At the end of the year 2019, a virus called SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly around the world, causing a pandemic that affected several countries in a short time. Also known as the new coronavirus (Covid-19), the virus originated in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly on a global scale, bringing with it alarming concern about ways to prevent its spread. Along with social distancing, personal protective equipment such as disposable face masks were used as the best non-pharmaceutical intervention to prevent the transmission of this virus. Consequently, there has been an increase in the production and inappropriate disposal of these masks, which can have alarming environmental consequences in the short, medium and long term. The general objective of this study is to address environmental aspects related to the improper disposal of face masks in the environment. The study is a literature review on the subject, covering information relevant to the topic, and bringing evidence about negative impacts which are directly related to the environment.