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The mask that saved us from a big danger like Corona, is now posing another danger in the coming times. According to a research, such chemicals are coming out from the masks used during the Corona epidemic that will prove fatal for both our health and the health of our earth.

During the corona pandemic, the mask became the most important part of our life. People considered it as their protective shield. But now the same mask that protected us from the dangerous virus is becoming a chemical time bomb and harming our health.

Not just our health but the environment is also at risk. This has been revealed in a research. Coventry University scientist Anna Bogush and her colleague Ivan Kurchev did research on this. They kept different types of new masks in 150 ml water for 24 hours and then filtered the water. The result that came out was shocking.

Why masks can be harmful

In fact, during the pandemic, crores of disposable masks were used. Every month, about 129 billion masks were being used worldwide. These are mostly made of plastic like polypropylene. The problem is that there was no proper recycling system for them. As a result, most of the masks were thrown into landfills or scattered as garbage on roads, parks, rivers, beaches and villages. Now they are slowly breaking down and releasing microplastics and dangerous chemicals.

The safest masks are proving to be dangerous

When scientist Anna Bogush and her colleague Ivan Kurchev filtered the water in which the masks were kept, microplastics were released from every mask. But the biggest danger came from the FFP2 and FFP3 masks that were said to be the safest during the pandemic. These released 4 to 6 times more microplastics than other masks. The size of these particles ranged from 10 microns to 2000 microns, but most were small particles (below 100 microns). These small particles are considered the most dangerous because they can easily dissolve in the body and the environment.

Hazardous chemicals have spread into the environment

Moreover, the investigation also revealed that medical masks also release a chemical called Bisphenol B. It is an endocrine disruptor, that is, it interferes with the body's hormonal system and can have an effect similar to estrogen. Its effect on both humans and animals can be extremely harmful. It is estimated that 128 to 214 kg of Bisphenol B has spread into the environment from the masks used during the pandemic.

PC:TV9Bharatvarsh

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