Artificial Intelligence Unmasks Trends in Global COVID-19 PPE Litter
Disposable face masks have become a mainstay of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that on a monthly basis we use 129 million masks globally. New research published this week in Nature Sustainability has investigated the trends in litter associated with the uptick in use of mask and other PPE — personal protective equipment — including gloves and wipes during the pandemic. The study found masks to be the most prevalent littered PPE with an 84-fold increase in mask litter compared to pre-pandemic rates in some areas studied.
With the aid of the citizen science data collection application Litterati, researchers from across the United Kingdom were able to obtain information relating to environmental litter pre- and during the pandemic through 2020. Litterati is an artificial intelligence driven platform that allows citizen scientists around the world to upload a geo-tagged photo of the litter item and provide specific details to ensure an accurate acquisition.
Of the countries considered in the study, the UK was identified as the largest contributor to mask litter, with Australia having some of the lowest proportions of litter being masks or other PPE. The study highlighted a link between government and public health regulator response to the pandemic and abundance of mask litter. It was shown that as mask wearing legislation was implemented, the proportion of documented litter that was masks rapidly increased. Previous studies in South Africa and Kenya early during the pandemic have shown similar trends in litter data.
This study is a timely reminder of how we manage the environmental impacts of healthcare. With the COVID-19 pandemic we have learned a great deal about to manage a global health crisis. It is hoped that we can also learn a great deal about how we manage the global environmental pollution crisis as well.
Article DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00824-1
