Disposable face masks, such as those health officials encouraged (or in some cases, mandated) the public to wear during the COVID-19 pandemic, are made of synthetic fibers and may contain chemical compounds. Many people have questioned the wisdom of wearing masks made of synthetic fibers for long periods, asking whether inhaling the chemical compounds masks release could lead to health problems.
Face masks may release up to 5,390 microplastic particles in a 24-hour period and surgical masks in particular may release approximately 3,152 microfibers in less than one hour, according to a review in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety in April 2024.
To perform this review, German and Swiss researchers examined 24 studies evaluating 631 surgical, cloth, and N95 masks to determine their composition and the compounds they released. Sixty-three percent of the masks showed “alarming results,” the researchers wrote, releasing high amounts of micro- and nanoplastics....
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