Abstract

The Lifestyle of Humans, in guarding the transmission of the Corona virus, contributes to environment pollution and threats to aquatic life. With the whooping, 3.4 Billion masks, used and disposed daily, our environment suffers depositions of tonnes of non- biodegradable materials. These also include the several hundreds of containers of hand sanitizers, disposed to the environment after their usage. The practice of hand washing has involved the increased consumptions of soaps, alkali chemicals, which are deposited on the ground and wash off the coasts, affecting the pH of Land and Water. Increase pH, due to soap depositions, in fresh water, also increases growth of plants on the water bodies. Many of these plastics and facemask also get to the sea and are consumed by the non suspecting aquatic lives. These materials are not digestible by the enzymes in the digestive systems of these animals and such had led deaths of hundreds of these precious aquatic lives. The effects of the deposited facemasks and bottles doesn’t exclude, occlusion of water channels and invariably, prevention of proper drainage and passage of water during downfall. No doubt, we must protect ourselves, from the pandemic, however, have we thought of better methods of disposing these face masks and other materials, which could posed damaging and devastating threats to the environment? Some could involve the recycling of these materials into plastics or building materials. We could also devise the production of biodegradable materials as facemasks and sanitizers cans/containers, which could be environmental friendly.

Presenters

Benjamin Adebisi
Researcher, Functional and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Anatomy, Cell Biology, Brain and Neurodegeneration, Osun, Nigeria

Details

Presentation Type

Focused Discussion

Theme

Human Impacts and Responsibility

KEYWORDS

Pandemic, Pollution, Environment

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