Lack of behavioral effect of surgical mask leachate on the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus: Implications for invasion success in polluted coastal waters.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated a new source of plastic mass pollution, i.e. surgical masks, that preferentially accumulate in intertidal environments. Made of polymers, surgical masks are likely to leach additives and impact local intertidal fauna. As typical endpoints of complex developmental and physiological functions, behavioral properties are non-invasive key variables that are particularly studied in ecotoxicological and pharmacological studies, but have, first and foremost, adaptive ecological significance. In an era of ever-growing plastic pollution, this study focused on anxiety behaviors, i.e. startle response, scototaxis (i.e. preference for dark or light areas), thigmotaxis (i.e. preference for moving toward or away from physical barriers), vigilance and level of activity, of the invasive shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus in response to leachate from surgical masks. We first showed that in the absence of mask leachates H. sanguineus is characterized by a short startle time, a positive scototaxis, a strong positive thigmotaxis, and an acute vigilance behavior. Specifically, a significantly higher level of activity was observed in white areas, in contrast to the lack of significant differences observed in black areas. Noticeably, the anxiety behaviors of H. sanguineus did not significantly differ after a 6-h exposure to leachate solutions of masks incubated in seawater for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h. In addition, our results were consistently characterized by a high inter-individual variability. This specific feature is discussed as an adaptive behavioral trait, which - through the observed high behavioral flexibility - increases H. sanguineus resilience to contaminant exposures and ultimately contribute to its invasion success in anthropogenically-impacted environments.

Application of electrocoagulation process for the removal of chloroquine from an aqueous solution

Using chloroquine (CQ) as a provisional treatment for COVID-19 patients generates more pharmaceutical waste, posing a potential environmental threat. The present study evaluates the feasibility of the electrocoagulation (EC) process in removing CQ from an aqueous solution. The experiment was performed in a laboratory-scale stirred tank reactor (STR). The effects of operating conditions were investigated. Equilibrium and kinetic experiments were also performed to describe CQ adsorption. The results showed that increasing both the applied current density and the EC reaction time increases the removal efficiency of CQ. The results showed that 95% of CQ removal efficiency was achieved at a current density of 66.89 mA/cm(2), 600 rpm of agitation rate, 60 min of electrolysis time, an initial CQ concentration of 3 mg/L, and a pH of 6.5. For equilibrium and kinetic studies, the Lang-muir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order provided the best fit to the experimental data. The optimal operating conditions led to a specific amount of dissolved aluminum electrodes and a specific energy consumption of 0.228 kg/m(3) and 12.243 kWh/ m(3). These results suggest that the EC process is an excellent tool for effectively degrading CQ from wastewater with a low operating cost (2.48 USD/m(3)).

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance-based on municipal solid waste leachate in Brazil.

Municipal solid waste leachate-based epidemiology is an alternative viral tracking tool that applies fresh truck leachate as an early warning of public health emergencies. This study aimed to investigate the potential of SARS-CoV-2 surveillance based on solid waste fresh truck leachate. Twenty truck leachate samples were ultracentrifugated, nucleic acid extracted, and real-time RT-qPCR SARS-CoV-2 N1/N2 applied. Viral isolation, variant of concern (N1/N2) inference, and whole genome sequencing were also performed. SARS-CoV-2 was detected on 40% (8/20) of samples, with a concentration from 2.89 to 6.96 RNA Log10 100 mL-1. The attempt to isolate SARS-CoV-2 and recover the whole genome was not successful; however, positive samples were characterized as possible pre-variant of concern (pre-VOC), VOC Alpha (B.1.1.7) and variant of interest Zeta (P.2). This approach revealed an alternative tool to infer SARS-CoV-2 in the environment and may help the management of local surveillance, health, and social policies.

An investigation into the aging of disposable face masks in landfill leachate

Due to the excessive use of disposable face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, their accumulation has posed a great threat to the environment. In this study, we explored the fate of masks after being disposed in landfill. We simulated the possible process that masks would experience, including the exposure to sunlight before being covered and the contact with landfill leachate. After exposure to UV radiation, all three mask layers exhibited abrasions and fractures on the surface and became unstable with the increased UV radiation duration showed aging process. The alterations in chemical groups of masks as well as the lower mechanical strength of masks after UV weathering were detected to prove the happened aging process. Then it was found that the aging of masks in landfill leachate was further accelerated compared to these processes occurring in deionized water. Furthermore, the carbonyl index and isotacticity of the mask samples after aging for 30 days in leachate were higher than those of pristine materials, especially for those endured longer UV radiation. Similarly, the weight and tensile strength of the aged masks were also found lower than the original samples. Masks were likely to release more microparticles and high concentration of metal elements into leachate than deionized water after UV radiation and aging. After being exposed to UV radiation for 48 h, the concentration of released particles in leachate was 39.45 muL/L after 1 day and then grew to 309.45 muL/L after 30 days of aging. Seven elements (Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sb and Pb) were detected in leachate and the concentration of this metal elements increased with the longer aging time. The findings of this study can advance our understanding of the fate of disposable masks in the landfill and develop the strategy to address this challenge in waste management. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Zeolite and Activated Carbon as Catalysts on Leachate Clarification

Improper solid waste management worldwide has increased the negative impacts of landfills due to the production of methane, carbon dioxide, and leachate wastewater. In the present work, granular activated carbon (GAC), zeolite (Ze), and hydrogen peroxide were used for the purification of landfill leachate. Emphasis was given to decreasing operational costs for a big-scale advanced oxidation process. Thus, the aim was to evaluate the effect of oxidant and catalysts dosages, and different highly basic pHs. Up to 95% of dark brown colour and 100% of turbidity from landfill wastewater were removed. Based on the experimental findings, it is suggested that an application of activated carbon and hydrogen peroxide in a dosage ratio between 1.7 and 2.0 would be economically attractive in terms of reduced operation costs. © 2022, Kauno Technologijos Universitetas. All rights reserved.

An Investigation into the Aging of Disposable Face Masks in Landfill Leachate

Due to the excessive use of disposable face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, their accumulation has posed a great threat to the environment. In this study, we explored the fate of masks after being disposed in landfill. We simulated the possible process that masks would experience, including the exposure to sunlight before being covered and the contact with landfill leachate. After exposure to UV radiation, all three mask layers exhibited abrasions and fractures on the surface and became unstable with the increased UV radiation duration showed aging process. The alterations in chemical groups of masks as well as the lower mechanical strength of masks after UV weathering were detected to prove the happened aging process. Then it was found that the aging of masks in landfill leachate was further accelerated compared to these processes occurring in deionized water. Furthermore, the carbonyl index and isotacticity of the mask samples after aging for 30 days in leachate were higher than those of pristine materials, especially for those endured longer UV radiation. Similarly, the weight and tensile strength of the aged masks were also found lower than the original samples. Masks were likely to release more microparticles and high concentration of metal elements into leachate than deionized water after UV radiation and aging. After being exposed to UV radiation for 48h, the concentration of released particles in leachate was 39.45μL/L after 1 day and then grew to 309.45μL/L after 30 days of aging. Seven elements (Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sb and Pb) were detected in leachate and the concentration of this metal elements increased with the longer aging time. The findings of this study can advance our understanding of the fate of disposable masks in the landfill and develop the strategy to address this challenge in waste management.

Release of phthalate esters (PAEs) and microplastics (MPs) from face masks and gloves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marine pollution with personal protective equipment (PPE) has recently gained major attention. Multiple studies reported the release of microplastics (MPs) and chemical contaminants from face masks, the most used PPE type. However, not much is known concerning the release of phthalate esters (PAEs) in aquatic media, as well as the hazard posed by other types of PPE. In the present study, we investigated the release of MPs and PAEs from face masks and gloves recovered from the environment. The results indicated that both PPEs release MPs comparable to the literature, but higher concentrations were presented by face masks. In turn, the total concentration of six PAEs was higher in gloves than in face masks. The release of these contaminants is exacerbated over time. The present study allows researchers to understand the contribution of PPE to marine pollution while accounting for gloves, a generally overlooked source of contaminants.

A comparative study of landfill leachate treatment using advanced oxidation photochemical processes, ozonation process and hydrogen peroxide systems

Ozonation processes and hydrogen peroxide systems can be used as advanced oxidation photochemical processes (AOPs) to treat leachate from municipal landfills. They are efficient and effective processes in the extermination of microorganisms and elimination of viruses and pathogens, including members of the virus family coronaviridae (such as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), the new coronavirus COVID-19, that all countries of the world suddenly faced recently, and the result-ing emergence of many cases and injuries that exceed the absorption of hospitals, quarantine, and home self-isolation, and the abundant use of personal protective equipment, like face masks, gloves, contaminated cotton, dressings, and plaster, etc., whether in the case of infection or for prevention, and mixing of this type of waste with household waste, which increase the negative environmental impact because of the highly contaminated waste generation. This study aims to determine the most effective and safest methods of treating the leachate at optimum conditions of each process in laboratory-scale experiments at pH values (7.5–8.5).It was found that both O and O /H O effectively reduced the concentration of organic compounds under optimal experimental conditions. 3 3 2 2 O3 /H2 O2 was very effective in reducing the concentration of organic compounds in optimal experimental conditions The most effective process, with the best results were obtained at 20 mg/L of H2 O2 after increasing the treatment time to 60 min, where the efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 84%–92%, the efficiency of total organic carbon removal was in the range of 29.21–58.42 mg/L. The biodegradation indicated by the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5)/COD ratio increased from 0.17 to 0.74, and the turbidity removal efficiency was 75.60%–82.80%. © 2022 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Facemasks: Potential Source of Human Exposure to PFAS with Implications for Disposal to Landfills

Facemasks are important tools for fighting against disease spread, including Covid-19 and its variants, and some may be treated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Nine facemasks over a range of prices were analyzed for total fluorine and PFAS. The PFAS compositions of the masks were then used to estimate exposure and the mass of PFAS discharged to landfill leachate. Fluorine from PFAS accounted only for a small fraction of total fluorine. Homologous series of linear perfluoroalkyl carboxylates and the 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol indicated a fluorotelomer origin. Inhalation was estimated to be the dominant exposure route (40%-50%), followed by incidental ingestion (15%-40%) and dermal (11%-20%). Exposure and risk estimates were higher for children than adults, and high physical activity substantially increased inhalation exposure. These preliminary findings indicate that wearing masks treated with high levels of PFAS for extended periods of time can be a notable source of exposure and have the potential to pose a health risk. Despite modeled annual disposal of 29-91 billion masks, and an assuming 100% leaching of individual PFAS into landfill leachate, mask disposal would contribute only an additional 6% of annual PFAS mass loads and less than 11 kg of PFAS discharged to U.S. wastewater. © 2022 American Chemical Society.

Generation of environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) enhances ecotoxicological effects of the disposable face mask waste with the COVID-19 pandemic.

A large amount of disposable plastic face masks (DPFs) is produced and used during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, which results in an inevitable consequence of the dramatic increase of DPFs waste. However, the impact of DPFs exposure to the environment on their toxicity is rarely considered. In this study, a range of 76-276 items/L microplastics (MPs) was detected in the DPFs leachates, and fibrous (> 80.3%) and polypropylene (PP, > 89.2%) MPs were dominant. Co, Cu, Ni, Sr, Ti and Zn, were commonly detected in all leachates of the tested DPFs. Organics, such as acetophenone, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, benzothiazole, bisphenol-A and phthalide, were found in the DPFs leachate, which were including organic solvents and plasticizer. Besides, we first found an emerging environmental risk substance, namely environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), was generated in the DPFs leachates. The characteristic g-factors of the EPFRs was in a range of 2.003-2.004, identified as mixture of carbon- and oxygen-centered radicals. By means of in vitro toxicity assay, the DPFs leachate were confirmed to cause cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. Significantly, it is found that the formed EPFRs could contribute more toxic effects. Furthermore, when compared to N95 respirators, the tested surgical masks tend to release more MPs, leach more metals and organics, and generate more EPFRs. Surgical masks were thus showed higher risk than N95 respirators after exposure to water. This work highlights the importance of understanding the chemical complexity and possible toxicity of DPFs for their risk assessment.

Another casualty of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-the environmental impact.

Cemetery leachate generated by the process of cadaveric decomposition is a significant contaminant of several matrices in the cemetery environment (soil, groundwater, and surface water). The biogenic amines cadaverine and putrescine stand out among the cemetery leachate contaminants, since they are potentially carcinogenic compounds. This review article presents a discussion of possible environmental impacts caused by the increase in deaths resulting from COVID-19 as its central theme. The study also aims to demonstrate the importance of considering, in this context, some climatic factors that can alter both the time of bodily decomposition and the longevity of the virus in the environment. Additionally, some evidence for the transmission of the virus to health professionals and family members after the patient's death and environmental contamination after the burial of the bodies will also be presented. Several sources were consulted, such as scientific electronic databases (NCBI), publications by government agencies (e.g., ARPEN, Brazil) and internationally recognized health and environmental agencies (e.g., WHO, OurWorldInData.org), as well as information published on reliable websites available for free (e.g., CNN) and scientific journals related to the topic. The data from this study sounds the alarm on the fact that an increase in the number of deaths from the complications of COVID-19 has generated serious environmental problems, resulting from Cemetery leachate.

SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in municipal wastewater, landfill leachate, and solid waste: A review about virus surveillance, infectivity, and inactivation.

This review discusses the techniques available for detecting and inactivating of pathogens in municipal wastewater, landfill leachate, and solid waste. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 is being given special attention, with a thorough examination of all possible transmission pathways linked to the selected waste matrices. Despite the lack of works focused on landfill leachate, a systematic review method, based on cluster analysis, allows to analyze the available papers devoted to sewage sludge and wastewater, allowing to focalize the work on technologies able to detect and treat pathogens. In this work, great attention is also devoted to infectivity and transmission mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the literature analysis shows that sewage sludge and landfill leachate seem to have a remote chance to act as a virus transmission route (pollution-to-human transmission) due to improper collection and treatment of municipal wastewater and solid waste. However due to the incertitude about virus infectivity, these possibilities cannot be excluded and need further investigation. As a conclusion, this paper shows that additional research is required not only on the coronavirus-specific disinfection, but also the regular surveillance or monitoring of viral loads in sewage sludge, wastewater, and landfill leachate. The disinfection strategies need to be optimized in terms of dosage and potential adverse impacts like antimicrobial resistance, among many other factors. Finally, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenic microorganisms in sewage sludge, wastewater, and landfill leachate can hamper the possibility to ensure safe water and public health in economically marginalized countries and hinder the realization of the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs).