TY - JOUR
T1 - Fabric structure and polymer composition as key contributors to micro(nano)plastic contamination in face masks
AU - Tang, Shuai
AU - Zhang, Qun
AU - Xu, Haowen
AU - Zhu, Mengyuan
AU - Nahid Pervez, Md
AU - Wu, Bing
AU - Zhao, Yaping
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/9/5
Y1 - 2024/9/5
N2 - The surge in face mask use due to COVID-19 has raised concerns about micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) from masks. Herein, focusing on fabric structure and polymer composition, we investigated MNP generation characteristics, mechanisms, and potential risks of surgical polypropylene (PP) and fashionable polyurethane (PU) masks during their wearing and photoaging based on stereomicroscope, μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Compared with new PP and PU masks (66 ± 16 MPs/PP-mask, 163 ± 83 MPs/PU-mask), single- and multiple-used masks exhibited remarkably increased MP type and abundance (600–1867 MPs/PP-mask, 607–2167 MPs/PU-mask). Disinfection exacerbated endogenous MP generation in masks, with washing (416 MPs/PP-mask, 30,708 MPs/PU-mask) being the most prominent compared to autoclaving (219 MPs/PP-mask, 553 MPs/PU-mask) and alcohol spray (162 MPs/PP-mask, 18,333 MPs/PU-mask). Photoaging led to massive generation of MPs (8.8 × 104–3.7 × 105 MPs/PP-layer, 1.0 × 105 MPs/PU-layer) and NPs (5.2 × 109–3.6 × 1013 NPs/PP-layer, 3.5 × 1012 NPs/PU-layer) from masks, presenting highly fabric structure-dependent aging modes as “fragmentation” for fine fiber-structure PP mask and “erosion” for 3D mesh-structure PU mask. The MNPs derived from PP/PU mask caused significant deformities of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. These findings underscore the potential adverse effects of masks on humans and aquatic organisms, advocating to enhance proper use and rational disposal for masks.
AB - The surge in face mask use due to COVID-19 has raised concerns about micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) from masks. Herein, focusing on fabric structure and polymer composition, we investigated MNP generation characteristics, mechanisms, and potential risks of surgical polypropylene (PP) and fashionable polyurethane (PU) masks during their wearing and photoaging based on stereomicroscope, μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Compared with new PP and PU masks (66 ± 16 MPs/PP-mask, 163 ± 83 MPs/PU-mask), single- and multiple-used masks exhibited remarkably increased MP type and abundance (600–1867 MPs/PP-mask, 607–2167 MPs/PU-mask). Disinfection exacerbated endogenous MP generation in masks, with washing (416 MPs/PP-mask, 30,708 MPs/PU-mask) being the most prominent compared to autoclaving (219 MPs/PP-mask, 553 MPs/PU-mask) and alcohol spray (162 MPs/PP-mask, 18,333 MPs/PU-mask). Photoaging led to massive generation of MPs (8.8 × 104–3.7 × 105 MPs/PP-layer, 1.0 × 105 MPs/PU-layer) and NPs (5.2 × 109–3.6 × 1013 NPs/PP-layer, 3.5 × 1012 NPs/PU-layer) from masks, presenting highly fabric structure-dependent aging modes as “fragmentation” for fine fiber-structure PP mask and “erosion” for 3D mesh-structure PU mask. The MNPs derived from PP/PU mask caused significant deformities of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. These findings underscore the potential adverse effects of masks on humans and aquatic organisms, advocating to enhance proper use and rational disposal for masks.
KW - Face mask
KW - Micro(nano)plastics
KW - Photoaging
KW - Polypropylene
KW - Polyurethane
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85197042670
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135089
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135089
M3 - 文章
C2 - 38959827
AN - SCOPUS:85197042670
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 476
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
M1 - 135089
ER -