Review
COVID-19 discarded disposable gloves as a source and a vector of pollutants in the environment

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125938Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Alarming increase in the use of disposable protective gloves (DPGs) during the pandemic.

  • Randomly discarded DPGs became a popular environmental waste.

  • DPGs as a source of toxic chemicals leaching from to the environment.

  • DPGs as a potential carrier of pollutants in the environment.

  • Aging of DPGs and environmental consequences.

Abstract

The appearance of the virus SARS-CoV-2 at the end of 2019 and its spreading all over the world has caused global panic and increase of personal protection equipment usage to protect people against infection. Increased usage of disposable protective gloves, their discarding to random spots and getting to landfills may result in significant environmental pollution. The knowledge concerning possible influence of gloves and potential of gloves debris on the environment (water, soil, etc.), wildlife and humans is crucial to predict future consequences of disposable gloves usage caused by the pandemic. This review focuses on the possibility of chemical release (heavy metals and organic pollutants) from gloves and gloves materials, their adsorptive properties in terms of contaminants accumulation and effects of gloves degradation under environmental conditions.

Abbreviations

A-PE-MPs
Microplastics exposed to air
AAS
Atomic absorption spectroscopy
AHTN
Tonalide
AMWPE
Average molecular weight medium density polyethylene
AMX
Amoxicillin
BBP
Benzyl butyl phthalates
BET
Brunner-Emmet-Teller method
DIFE
Difenoconazole
BPA
Bisphenol A
DBP
Dibutyl phthalates
CAR
Carbendazim
CBZ
Carbamazepine
CIP
Ciprofloxacin
DEHP
di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
DEP
Diethyl phthalate
DFC
Diclofenac
DIF
Diflubenzuron
DIP
Dipterex
DPG
Disposable protective glove
EE2
17α-ethinyl estradiol
GC
Gas chromatography
GC-MS
Gas chromatography equipped with mass spectrometer
HDPE
High-density polyethylene
HHCB
Galaxolide
HPLC
High-performance liquid chromatography
IBU
Ibuprofen
ICP-MS
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
ICP-OES
Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry
LDPE
Low-density polyethylene
MAL
Malathion
MK
Musk ketone
MO
Musk odors
MPs
Microplastics
MX
Musk xylene
NBR
Nitrile butadiene rubber
NPX
Naproxen
NRL
Natural rubber latex
NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
PA
Polyamide
PAHs
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls
PE
Polyethylene
PMMA
Polymethyl methacrylate
PP
Polypropylene
PPE
Personal protective equipment
PRP
Propranolol
PS
Polystyrene
PVA
Polyvinyl alcohol
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
S-PE-MPs
Microplastics exposed to soil
SBR
Styrene butadiene rubber
SDBS
Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate
SDZ
Sulfadiazine
SER
Sertraline
SMX
Sulfamethoxazole
TC
Tetracycline
TCEP
tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate
TCS
Triclosan
TMP
Trimethoprim
TnBP
tri-n-butyl phosphate
TPP
Triphenylphosphine
UHMWPE
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
UV-EMPs
UV aged etched-microplastics
UV-MPs
UV aged microplastics
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
W-PE-MPs
Microplastics exposed to water
XRF
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

Keywords

Pollution
Disposable gloves
COVID-19
Pandemic
Plastics
Risk

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