It was seen that many of the waste generated to protect us from COVID-19, such as masks or gloves, would end up having serious effects on ecosystems, if not treated correctly. A clear example would be single-use surgical masks. These have an effective protection of four hours, but can take between 300 and 400 years to degrade naturally. In addition, they are impossible to recycle due to the mixture of plastics that form them.
An article by researchers Auke-Florian Hiemstra, from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, and Liselotte Rambonnet, from the University of Leiden (Netherlands), published in the journal Animal Biology , warns that Covid-19 residues are altering the animal life around the world. According to the researchers, for the 324 of TV3, “animals are weakened, be they vertebrates or invertebrates, on land, fresh water and in the sea. They wrap themselves with rubber bands or starve because of the plastic in their digestive system “. Here are some examples of the effect of garbage on nature:
Get caught in the trash
A classic that also happens with the plastics that join the cans of soft drinks or beer. Scientists described the first documented case of a fish trapped in a medical glove, found while cleaning a canal in Leiden, the Netherlands. For this same reason, it is recommended to cut the plastic strips of the masks before throwing them away.
Death by ingestion of garbage
Seagulls, whales and turtles have died from excessive consumption of ocean plastic, covid waste is also added to their diet. Cases of masks have even been found inside the stomachs of domestic dogs and cats, apes and penguins.
Construction of nests with garbage
An example would be the coots ( Fulica atra ) that live in the Dutch canals, which already use covid waste, as medical gloves, as materials to make their nests. A fact that could have devastating effects if chickens mistake them for food.
For these three reasons, scientists conclude that COVID-19 litter is a new threat to animal life, as materials designed to keep us safe are actually harming the animals around us, a fact that could add up to the decline of their populations due to the devastating effects of climate change. In addition, they invite us to report cases in which garbage affects nature through their website www.covidlitter.com. Lastly, they recommend that reusable alternatives to single-use masks be used whenever possible.
References:
Hiemstra, A. F., Rambonnet, L., Gravendeel, B., & Schilthuizen, M. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 litter on animal life. Animal Biology, 71(2), 215–231. https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-bja10052
R. (2021, May 14). They recommend cutting the gums from the mask to prevent the animals from getting caught in them. CCMA. https://www.ccma.cat/324/recomanen-tallar-les-gomes-de-la-mascareta-per-evitar-que-els-animals-hi-quedin-atrapats/noticia/3097362/
