You are what you eat!
Dec 29, 2020 07:33:22 #
Its all good... or is it?
More than 1.5 billion face masks will pollute oceans this year, report says Bruce Golding, NY Post, December 28, 2020
More than 1.5 billion disposable face masks will wind up in the world’s oceans this year — polluting the water with tons of plastic and endangering marine wildlife, according to a Hong Kong-based environmental group.
A report by OceansAsia cites a global market research report that estimates 52 billion masks were made this year to meet the demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
It also says that a “conservative” calculation means at least 3 percent of them will be washed out to sea.
“Single-use face masks are made from a variety of melt blown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection,” the report says.
“These masks enter our oceans when they are littered or otherwise improperly discarded, when waste management systems are inadequate or non-existent, or when these systems become overwhelmed due to increased volumes of waste.”
With each mask weighing three to four grams, the situation could lead to 6,800-plus tons of plastic pollution that “will take as long as 450 years to break down,” according to the report.
In addition to the harmful effects of micro-plastic and nano-plastic particles, elastic ear loops pose a “possible entanglement risk for wildlife,” the report says.
The report cites several examples of marine animals killed by masks, including a “dead bloated pufferfish” found tangled in the loops of a disposable blue mask by volunteers cleaning a Miami beach in August.
In addition, a necropsy on a malnourished penguin found dead on a beach in Brazil in September reportedly found a mask wadded up in its stomach.The report offers recommendations that include wearing reusable, washable cloth masks “whenever possible.”
Related topics:
Are You Eating Plastic for Dinner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjT8GG0ETQg
You’re eating a horrifying amount of plastic and didn’t even know it, Hannah Sparks, NY Post, December 8, 2020
https://nypost.com/2020/12/08/youre-eating-a-lot-of-plastic-and-didnt-even-know-it/
More than 1.5 billion face masks will pollute oceans this year, report says Bruce Golding, NY Post, December 28, 2020
More than 1.5 billion disposable face masks will wind up in the world’s oceans this year — polluting the water with tons of plastic and endangering marine wildlife, according to a Hong Kong-based environmental group.
A report by OceansAsia cites a global market research report that estimates 52 billion masks were made this year to meet the demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
It also says that a “conservative” calculation means at least 3 percent of them will be washed out to sea.
“Single-use face masks are made from a variety of melt blown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection,” the report says.
“These masks enter our oceans when they are littered or otherwise improperly discarded, when waste management systems are inadequate or non-existent, or when these systems become overwhelmed due to increased volumes of waste.”
With each mask weighing three to four grams, the situation could lead to 6,800-plus tons of plastic pollution that “will take as long as 450 years to break down,” according to the report.
In addition to the harmful effects of micro-plastic and nano-plastic particles, elastic ear loops pose a “possible entanglement risk for wildlife,” the report says.
The report cites several examples of marine animals killed by masks, including a “dead bloated pufferfish” found tangled in the loops of a disposable blue mask by volunteers cleaning a Miami beach in August.
In addition, a necropsy on a malnourished penguin found dead on a beach in Brazil in September reportedly found a mask wadded up in its stomach.The report offers recommendations that include wearing reusable, washable cloth masks “whenever possible.”
Related topics:
Are You Eating Plastic for Dinner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjT8GG0ETQg
You’re eating a horrifying amount of plastic and didn’t even know it, Hannah Sparks, NY Post, December 8, 2020
https://nypost.com/2020/12/08/youre-eating-a-lot-of-plastic-and-didnt-even-know-it/
Dec 29, 2020 07:56:54 #
PulletSurprise wrote:
Its all good... or is it? br br More than 1.5 bil... (show quote)
Another reason not to eat seafood. I won't miss it.
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