Face masks, waste in tourist sites in Nayarit, Mexico

• Published in: Revista bío ciencias Vol. 10
• Main Authors: Ramos-Ramírez, L.C., Avelino Flores, F., Tapia Varela, J.R., Medina-Carrillo, R.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit 2023
• Subjects: Biology; Equipos de protección personal (PPE); COVID-19; pandemia; Personal protective equipment (PPE); pandemic
• ISSN: 2007-3380; 2007-3380
• DOI: 10.15741/revbio.10.e1509

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it the use of personal protective equipment; mainly face masks. The large number of face masks are used daily, and their inadequate final disposal has turned them into an environmental problem. The goal of this research is to determine the amount of face mask waste as an environmental contaminant. By collecting such waste in five tourist sites (urban, beach, and lake) in Nayarit, Mexico, during five months of the years 2021 and 2022. A greater presence of this type of waste was found during the year 2022. More adult mouth covers prevailed than infant mouth covers. Finally, urban areas showed a higher density of face masks than the rest of the analyzed areas. It is concluded that it is necessary for adequate measures to be implemented for the correct disposal of the waste generated with the pandemic.