Adding shredded pieces of personal protective equipment to cement makes concrete stronger and more resistant to cracks. Rubber gloves were found to increase concrete strength by 22%.
EXCLUSIVE: Preliminary analysis found toxic chemicals in some masks
These include known allergens and carcinogens as well as controlled substances
Masks intended for use by the general public are not deemed to be PPE
Therefore, they do not have to meet the standards of masks worn by doctors
85% of all masks made worldwide come from China and concerns have been raised over substandard manufacturing and opaque supply chains
Elvis Genbo Xu/SDU
Recent studies estimate that we use an astounding 129 billion face masks globally every month - that is 3 million a minute. Most of them are disposable face masks made from plastic microfibers.
With increasing reports on inappropriate disposal of masks, it is urgent to recognize this potential environmental threat and prevent it from becoming the next plastic problem, researchers warn in a comment in the scientific journal
Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering.
The researchers are Environmental Toxicologist Elvis Genbo Xu from University of Southern Denmark and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Zhiyong Jason Ren from Princeton University.
Three million face masks are discarded every minute as a result of mass adoption during the coronavirus pandemic, and experts warn it could soon lead to environmental catastrophe.
Face coverings are being worn by the majority of individuals around the world in order to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus which causes Covid-19.
However, they pose a greater risk to the environment than carrier bags because of their ubiquity and the fact there is no way to safely decontaminate and recycle them.
In an article published by the University of Southern Denmark, experts call the huge amount of face masks being worn and thrown away a ticking time bomb .
Face Masks a Ticking Plastic Bomb manufacturing.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from manufacturing.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.