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. 2022 Jun:297:134022.
doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134022. Epub 2022 Feb 21.

Amassing the Covid-19 driven PPE wastes in the dwelling environment of Chittagong Metropolis and associated implications

Md Jainal Abedin  1 , Mayeen Uddin Khandaker  2 , Md Ripaj Uddin  3 , Md Rezaul Karim  4 , M Shahab Uddin Ahamad  5 , Md Ariful Islam  4 , Abu Mohammad Arif  6 , Syed Md Minhaz Hossain  7 , A Sulieman  8 , Abubakr M Idris  9
Affiliations

Amassing the Covid-19 driven PPE wastes in the dwelling environment of Chittagong Metropolis and associated implications

Md Jainal Abedin et al. Chemosphere. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

This study investigates the Covid-19 driven indiscriminate disposal of PPE wastes (mostly face mask and medical wastes) in Chittagong metropolitan area (CMA), Bangladesh. Based on the field monitoring, the mean PPE density (PPE/m2± SD) was calculated to be 0.0226 ± 0.0145, 0.0164 ± 0.0122, and 0.0110 ± 0.00863 for July, August, and September 2021, respectively (during the peak time of Covid-19 in Bangladesh). Moreover, gross information on PPE waste generation in the city was calculated using several parameters such as population density, face mask acceptance rate by urban population, total Covid-19 confirmed cases, quarantined and isolated patients, corresponding medical waste generation rate (kg/bed/day), etc. Moreover, the waste generated due to face mask and other PPEs in the CMA during the whole Covid-19 period (April 4, 2020 to September 5, 2021) were calculated to be 64183.03 and 128695.75 tons, respectively. It has been observed that the negligence of general people, lack of awareness about environmental pollution, and poor municipal waste management practices are the root causes for the contamination of the dwelling environment by PPE wastes. As a result, new challenges have emerged in solid waste management, which necessitates the development of an appropriate waste management strategy. The ultimate policies and strategies may help to achieve the SDG goals 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 15, and increase public perception on the use and subsequent disposal of PPEs, especially face masks.

Keywords: Covid-19; Disposal; Environmental contamination; PPE wastes; Waste management.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The footprint of the face mask, reproduced from Fadare et al., 2020, Fadare and Okoffo, 2020.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Sampling points within the Chittagong metropoliton area.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
PPE sampling of different surveyed locations during September 2021.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Distribution of PPEs in the surveyed area.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Indoor and outdoor PPE waste gathering and/or temporary dumping places.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Environmental and public health impacts of PPE wastes.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Covid-19 driven PPE waste sources or PPE footprint.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Sustainable green management system for mitigating the PPE waste disposal. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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