Heaps of masks have been found on the beaches of the Soko Islands (Hong Kong). These tools, if not well disposed of, have a heavy environmental impact
The inappropriate disposal of masks, now worn by practically everyone during this health emergency, is leading to new concrete risks of marine pollution, a problem that is already serious enough given the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans every year.
During an exploratory journey on the Island Islands (Hong Kong), a team from OceansAsia, a marine conservation organization, found heaps of masks deposited on the beach. Hence the alarm: if not properly disposed of, these tools will end up having a heavy environmental impact.
The masks are currently used in large quantities all over the world due to the coronavirus pandemic but, like many other objects, these too often end up becoming garbage abandoned everywhere, then arriving at the sea.
An early concrete example of this was noted in Soko, a small group of islands found off the southwestern coast of Hong Kong's Lantau Island. Here OceansAsia it is currently conducting some research projects on plastic pollution and, twice a month, a team visits the islands to investigate and analyze the accumulation of litter on the beach.
Photo ©OceansAsia
In the last expedition, the team noticed the effect that the coronavirus emergency had on those places and we are not speaking in health terms but in environmental terms. Heaps of masks have in fact poured onto the coast. As Gary Stokes, founder of OceanAsia, told Energy Live News:
"We found 70 discarded masks 100 meters from the beach and another 30 masks when we returned a week later"
Others were instead in the current and were about to arrive (this is not surprising considering that 7 million people used them in China).
"The masks weren't that old, some looked almost brand new, which means they haven't been in the water for a long time"
Ma what are the environmental risks?
Teale Phelps Bondaroff, research director of OceansAsia explained this:
"A mask that is ingested by a local turtle, a pink dolphin or a neofocena, for example, could easily get stuck in this animal's digestive system, killing it"
But not only:
“Most of these masks contain or are made from polypropylene, which does not break quickly. Marine plastic pollution is a serious problem. It is estimated that over eight million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. This plastic does not disappear but breaks down rather slowly into micro-plastic, which enters the food chains, with devastating effects ”.
The Asian organization reminds us of something very important: people should definitely inform themselves so as to know the proper ways to properly dispose of surgical masks. We have told you about it here.
Fonti: OceansAsia/Energy live news
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