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Personal protective equipment (PPE) litter in terrestrial urban areas of Iligan City, Philippines

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Abstract

In recent years, many countries have relied on the massive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) following the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These PPEs include facemasks, face shields, disinfectant wipes, and disposable gloves. While PPE serves as protection, it can also be a source of pollution. This study is the first to establish a baseline monitoring and assessment of the spatial distribution of COVID-19-related PPE litter approaching the post-pandemic from the urban areas in Iligan City, Philippines. A total of 1632 COVID-19 PPE litter were gathered in all surveyed locations, predominantly facemasks (90.7%) and disinfectant wipes (8.8%). Among the surveyed areas, the location that recorded the highest count and density of PPE litter is in a residential zone (52.14%; n = 851; 0.0317 item m−2); the lowest was determined in recreational parks (2.57%; n = 42; 0.0016 item m−2). The significant difference in the total count of PPE items in each location could be traced to the varying land uses and ecosystems as well as the human behavior and activities. FTIR results reveal that all types of facemasks sampled are principally made of polypropylene, a material that threatens environmental sustainability and low recyclability. As the country is embracing the new normal and somewhat returning to pre-pandemic activities, this study calls for the prioritization of the government agendas on ecological solid waste management in the country.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the following institutions: the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the scholarship through the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP); the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT); and the Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) (MSU-IIT), who supported throughout the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science Graduate Program, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), Lanao del Norte, 9200, Iligan, Philippines

    Kent Naiah D. Araña, Noralyn G. Dimaongon, Noronimah D. Mauyag, Nisriah M. Hadji Morad, Shekinah Ruth R. Manupac & Hernando P. Bacosa

  2. Center for Sustainable Polymers, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), Lanao del Norte, 9200, Iligan, Philippines

    Hernando P. Bacosa

  3. Main Campus Bataraza Extension (MCBE), Mindanao State University-Main Campus, Lanao del Sur, 9700, Marawi, Philippines

    Hernando P. Bacosa

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  1. Kent Naiah D. Araña
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Contributions

Kent Naiah D. Araña: investigation, methodology, visualization, data curation, software, analysis and writing – original draft, Noralyn G. Dimaongon: investigation, data curation, methodology and writing – review and editing, Noronimah D. Mauyag: investigation, data curation, methodology and writing – review and editing, Nisriah M. Hadji Morad: investigation and writing – review and editing, Shekinah Ruth R. Manupac: investigation, software, data curation and writing – review and editing, Hernando P. Bacosa: conceptualization, supervision, writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Hernando P. Bacosa.

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Araña, K.N.D., Dimaongon, N.G., Mauyag, N.D. et al. Personal protective equipment (PPE) litter in terrestrial urban areas of Iligan City, Philippines. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1486 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12044-5

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