Trends in Surgical and Beauty Masks for a Cleaner Environment

Abstract

The surgical face mask (SFM) is a sheet medical device covering the mouth, nose and chin to protect the medical staff from the spread of respiratory droplets produced by the infective coughing or sneezing of hospitalized patients. On the other hand the beauty face mask (BFM) has been made by the same sheet but with a different aim—to protect the skin from pollution, acting as a hydrating and rejuvenation agent. Currently, both masks are made principally by non-biodegradable tissues, utilized to avoid the increasing great pollution invading our planet. Due to the diffusion of the current COVID-19 infection rate and the increasing consumption of skin care and beauty products, the waste of these masks, made principally by petrol-derived polymers, is creating further intolerable waste-invaded land and oceans. After an introduction to the aims, differences and market of the various masks, their productive means and ingredients are reported. These news are believed necessary to give the reader the working knowledge of these products, in the context of the bioeconomy, to better understand the innovative tissues proposed and realized by the biobased and biodegradable polymers. Thus, the possibility of producing biodegradable SFMs and BFMs, characterized for their effective antimicrobial and skin repairing activities or hydrating and antiaging activity, respectively. These innovative smart and biodegradable masks are requested from the majority of consumers oriented towards a future green environment. Giving this new sense of direction to their production and consumption, it will be possible to reduce the current waste, ranging worldwide at about 2 billion tons per year.

The Life of a Face Mask: from Production to Use to Disposal

“…The inner layer closest to the mouth of the user is usually made of spunbond polypropylene, which absorbs moisture from exhalation [11]. The middle layer, a meltblown nonwoven fabric, is the primary filtering mechanism [12].…”

“…The middle layer, a meltblown nonwoven fabric, is the primary filtering mechanism [12]. The outer hydrophobic layer prevents fluids from penetrating the mask [11]. Respirators typically consist of four layers of filters that parallel a surgical mask, with an additional middle layer providing support for the frame [9] (Figure 1).…”

“…The surge in mask usage to combat SARS-CoV-2 transmission has prompted research on the environmental impact of masks. Numerous elements can be considered, such as microplastics [10,12], carbon footprints of personal protective equipment (PPE) [42], and the prospect of biodegradable masks [11]. One study took a more comprehensive approach by examining four metrics: carbon footprint, non-renewable cumulative energy demand, water depletion according to the AWARE methodology (hereafter water footprint), and overall environmental impacts [43].…”

“…Polypropylene incineration represents 36% of the disposable mask's carbon footprint, so other disposal methods could significantly alter the carbon footprint calculated [43]. Disposable masks are difficult to recycle and they are not biodegradable [11]. Over one year, the use of one respirator per day per healthcare worker would require 6.58 billion respirators, generating 74.4 million kg of waste [49].…”

Mechanical and Air Permeability Performance of Novel Biobased Materials from Fungal Hyphae and Cellulose Fibers

“…These materials are not biodegradable and can cause increased pollution to the environment due to improper waste management [ 4 ]; therefore, they have to be replaced with more sustainable materials. Intensive work is being done all over the world on research on biodegradable polymers applicable for personal protective equipment (PPE) [ 5 ]. However, there are natural polymers and even micro and macro fibers in nature with insufficiently explored potential for use in the creation of different materials and for different applications, such as biodegradable filtering materials for PPE.…”