General Article Pandemic face masks could harm wildlife for years to come

Topic Selected: Plastic Problem Book Volume: 440

Pandemic face masks could harm wildlife for years to come

By James Ashworth

The protective equipment that kept us safe from COVID-19 could pose a lethal threat to nature. 

While no longer as prevalent as they once were, the billions of face masks and gloves that were produced during the pandemic are making plastic pollution an ever-greater issue. 

The impacts of COVID-19 go far beyond the disease itself, and are set to stay with us for centuries to come.

A study using community science observ...

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