Unintended consequences: Disposable face masks used during Covid have left chemical timebomb, research suggests

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/08/disposable-face-masks-covid-chemical-timebomb

Disposable face masks used during Covid have left chemical timebomb, research suggests

An estimated 129bn were being used every month around the world at height of pandemic, with no recycling stream

Damien Gayle
Mon 8 Sep 2025 11.32 EDT

The surge in the use of disposable face masks during the Covid pandemic has left a chemical timebomb that could harm humans, animals and the environment, research suggests.

Billions of tonnes of plastic face masks created to protect people from the spread of the virus are now breaking down, releasing microplastics and chemical additives including endocrine disruptors, the research found.

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It has been estimated that during the height of the coronavirus pandemic 129bn disposable face masks, mostly made from polypropylene and other plastics, were being used every month around the world.

With no recycling stream, most ended up either in landfill or littered in streets, parks, beaches, waterways and rural areas, where they have now begun to degrade. Recent research has reported a significant presence of disposable face masks in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

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