Study Reveals Possible Environmental Impacts Of Disposable Face Masks

Personal protective equipment (PPE) has become commonplace in daily life and in the promotional products industry during the pandemic, particularly the various face mask options available. And while promo industry sales have moved increasingly away from the category over the past year, data suggests that PPE may have a lingering impact—on the environment. Researchers from Swansea University in the UK have uncovered potentially dangerous chemical pollutants that are released from disposable face masks when submerged in water.

“All of us need to keep wearing masks as they are essential in ending the pandemic,” says Project Lead Dr. Sarper Sarp of Swansea University’s College of Engineering. “But we also urgently need more research and regulation on mask production, so we can reduce any risks to the environment and human health.”

PPE provided a lifeline to the promo industry early in the pandemic, when, according to PPAI’s own research, the product category accounted for approximately 83 percent of sales in the second quarter of 2020. But its share has trended down significantly since then, with most of the remaining attention focusing on decorated items, much of it reusable. In the third quarter of 2020, 80 percent of distributors sold some amount of decorated PPE, slipping to 55 percent in 2021’s third quarter.

The rise in single-use masks and the associated waste, has been documented as a new cause of pollution. The university’s study explored this link with investigations to identify the level of toxic substances present. The research team examined a variety of masks, ranging from standard plain face masks to novelty and festive masks for children with many currently being sold in UK retail outlets. Their research found high levels of contaminants, including lead, antimony and copper, within the silicon-based and plastic fibers of common disposable face masks.

"The production of disposable plastic face masks (DPFs) in China alone has reached approximately 200 million a day, in a global effort to tackle the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus,” says Dr. Sarp. “However, improper and unregulated disposal of these DPFs is a plastic pollution problem we are already facing and will only continue to intensify.”

The study’s findings revealed significant levels of pollutants in all the masks tested, with micro/nano particles and heavy metals released into the water during all tests. Researchers conclude this will have a substantial environmental impact and, in addition, raise the question of the potential damage to public health—warning that repeated exposure could be hazardous as the substances found have known links to cell death, genotoxicity and cancer formation. To combat this, the team advise further research and subsequent regulations be put in place in the manufacturing and testing process.