Covid-19 face masks: A necessity or a potential problem?

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Sabiha Mehzabin Oishee

Covering of the face with a mask are now a legal requirement in many public spaces in Bangladesh and
in around the globe, because of the pandemic state, but even before they became compulsory, masks
were causing litter problems everywhere. In spite of millions of individuals being told to use face masks,
no significant directions have been given on how to dispose of or reuse them securely,
and as nations start to lift lockdown limitations, billions of masks will be required each month universally
without any better transfer soon to be creating an environmental fiasco.

COVID-19 is generally spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets
travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the
mouths or noses of people who are near you, or they may breathe these droplets in. Wearing a face
mask can possibly decrease the possibility of this terrifying situation to occur and prevent your
respiratory droplets from reaching others. Studies show that masks reduce the spray of droplets when
worn over the nose and mouth.

It has to be taken in consideration that, the majority of the masks are manufactured from long-lasting
plastic materials, and if discarded can persist in the environment for decades to hundreds of years. This
means they can have a number of impacts on the environment and people.

Primarily, discarded masks may risk spreading coronavirus to waste collectors, litter pickers or members
of the public who first come across the litter. It is known to us that, in certain conditions, the virus
can survive on a plastic surgical mask for seven days. Over the medium to long term, animals and plants
are also affected. Through its sheer mass, plastic waste can smother environments and break up
ecosystems. Some animals also cannot tell the difference between plastic items and their prey,
subsequently choking on pieces of litter. Even if they do not choke, animals can become malnourished
as the materials fill up their stomachs but provide no nutrients. Smaller animals may also
become entangled in the elastic within the masks or within gloves as they begin to break apart.
Plastics break down into smaller pieces over time, and the longer litter is in the environment, the more it
will decompose. Plastics first break down into microplastics and eventually into even smaller nano-
plastics. These tiny particles and fibers are often long-lived polymers that can accumulate in food chains.
Just one mask can produce millions of particles, each with the potential to also
carry chemicals and bacteria up the food chain and potentially even into humans.

There are not many laws in Bangladesh that are empowered to step in to this situation and take lead.
Even though, Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, exists to improve environmental
standards and control and mitigation of environmental pollution. Though, the act was established in the
year of 1995, Bangladesh has not seen much improvement environmentally. In the year of 2011, the
capital city of Bangladesh – Dhaka – had been ranked as the world's 2nd least livable city in the world
1
Sabiha Mehzabin Oishee
only beating Harare in Zimbabwe with an overall ranking difference of 1.2%.Though the scenario
changed in 2012, when Dhaka was ranked 140 – the last among the livable countries in the world.
Though the overall ranking of livability did not change (was constant at 38.7%), but it did not improve
like the other cities like Harare did, which was announced the 4th least livable city unlike the previous
year.Thus, by remembering the phrase, ‘Prevention is better than cure’, we need to move forward and
create a sustainable plan for ourselves and for the environment we live in for our own survival and for
our future generation.

In March, the World Health Organization estimated that 89 million additional disposable masks were
needed globally per month in medical settings to combat COVID-19. In addition, a recent working paper
by the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub at University College London has put the current domestic demand
for the UK at 24.7 billion masks a year. Littered areas also tend to encourage further littering, making the
problem worse.

To mitigate this catastrophe, we need to use reusable masks without disposable filters. Machine-wash
them regularly following the instructions for the fabric. We should try to carry a spare so if something
goes wrong with the one, one is wearing we don’t need to use or buy a disposable mask. If we still have
to use disposable masks, then we must cover it with a paper, put it inside a paper bag and put it straight
into a bin with a lid after use. If this isn’t possible, we must place it in a proper public bin. We should
never put disposable masks in the recycling. They can get caught in specialist recycling equipment and
be a potential biohazard to waste workers.

It is still important to wear face masks whenever necessary, we ourselves can make a difference by
acting responsibly and engaging in proper usage and disposal.