ABSTRACT
Outbreak of COVID 19 has caused an abrupt surge in the consumption of disposable face masks around the world. WHO has stated that wearing a face mask in public reduces the chances of being exposed to COVID 19 virus. With unchecked disposal of these used masks, a new kind of pollutant has emerged in the environment. Since these masks are generally made of polypropylene and polyurethane material, they can be considered as a potential source of microplastics (MPs) in the environment. In this study, we have evaluated the release of MPs particles from these face masks (namely from N95 and surgical masks) in deionized (DI) water and tap water over the span of 1 to 180 days. More specifically, a systematic study has been carried out to see the effect of temperature on release of MPs in water. MPs particles released in tap water (837 ± 113 particles/piece in 30 days) were significantly higher than that in DI water (564 ± 37 particles/piece in 30 days). When these masks were kept at a constant temperature of 45 °C for 30 Days, highest amount of MPs release (N95 899 ± 65 particles, Surgical 1038 ± 65 particles/piece) was observed as compared to other conditions. Most of the MPs particles released were polypropylene which were transparent and white in case of N95 while for surgical mask they were found to be of blue and white colour. With the aging of masks in water, quantity of MPs release was increased with simultaneous reduction in their size. Our study indicates that these disposable face masks are emerging to be a prominent source of MPs release in the environment and more hazardous for the tropical climate.
ABSTRACT
The consumption of antidepressants has increased on a global scale. These medications are frequently prescribed to treat mental health-related disorders and their usage is expected to rise in the future because the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified these problems significantly. These compounds have recently been detected in wastewater treatment plants and surface waters, raising concerns about their potential impacts on the envi-ronment. In this regard, the current review aims to critically evaluate the available information on the worldwide consumption of antidepressants, their occurrence, possible toxicological effects on aquatic organisms, and removal techniques. Several analytical methods for the extraction and quantification of antidepressant com-pounds have also been discussed. Additionally, risk quotients (RQs) have been estimated which indicates that sertraline posed the highest risk (RQ: 4.88) to the aquatic life followed by citalopram (RQ: 1.55) and bupropion (RQ: 1.12). It was observed that the aquatic organisms encountered behavioral, physical, cardiovascular, and reproductive changes after being exposed to antidepressant compounds. Some of these compounds have been satisfactorily removed (>85%) using a sequencing batch reactor with aerobic granulation of sludge. Physico-chemical processes such as photocatalysis, photochemical oxidation, and electrocatalysis exhibited more than 90% degradation efficiency in most cases. Moreover, integrating two or more physicochemical processes improved the treatment efficiency further. This study may help researchers to understand the threats posed by antidepressants to the environment and result in the development of innovative technologies for their removal.