Covid-19 pandemic influence on the presence of micro and nanoplastics in the environment

Abstract

The presence of micro-and nano-plastics in the water and in the soil, is not any secret. The primary source of nanoplastics in the natural environment is the production and processing of plastics, and the secondary source of nanoplastics is the fragmentation of plastic products. The fragmentation of plastics is the result of a number of processes, which depend on both the composition of the plastics and environmental conditions. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of daily life and has perhaps forever changed the way we live. The future certainly appears to be less urban and less global. The 2020 pandemic of the the COVID-19 has increased the demand for respiratory protective equipment, especially covid-19 face masks and respirators. Covid- 19 face masks include nanotextiles made of plastic nanofibers are especially popular and widely used. Due to the number of nanotextile-based masks and respirators used daily, their production, use and improper and unregulated disposal contribute to and will continue to contribute to increasing environmental pollution by micro- and nano-plastics. It is likely that there will be no return to normality. The global ecosystem upon which modern society has evolved will have to be redesig