Impact of COVID-19 Waste on Environmental Pollution and Its Sustainable Management

Fish and aquaculture plays a major role as a source of nutrition for millions of consumers and source of earning for about 12% of total global population. After Covid-19 outbreak the risk factors in the aquatic environment has been increased due to accumulation of highly toxic emerging pollutants such as personal protective equipment, chemicals, steroids, antibiotics, hormones, microplastics and other biomedical associated pollutants. An alarming occurrence of Covid-19 generated emerging contaminants has now become a threat to our environment. These consequences decelerated the global fish production rate to 1.3% per annum, compare to 2.0% of per annum growth rate of previous decades. A fall of nearly 5% in captured fisheries production has been noticed in last three years indubitably due to the interference in fishing operation due to Covid-19 pandemic. The use of plastic economically got decreased during pandemic but there found a raise in level of plastic wastes such as; medical equipment like disposable mask, PPEkit, face shield, gloves and plastic packaging etc., which got disposed near river beam, seabed and beaches. The Covid-19 allied plastic waste release has reached approximately to 9 million tons across 193 countries over the world with 26 thousand tons deposition into global ocean in the year of 2022.The existing problems need to be resolved by adopting suitable methods to reduce the pollutant level in aquatic environment or else it will degrade the aquatic environment as well the aquatic life. This paper portrays the adverse effects of the Covid-19 emerging pollutants on the mortifying quality of aquatic bodies and their effect on fish and its edibility. This study provides qualitative and quantitative limits for the safe and appropriate consumption of fish which will be beneficial to indicate the potential risk factors and will act a recommendation to take control measure for the disposal of Covid-19 spawned emerging water pollutants from various aquatic bodies.

Ecosystems on land and in the sea are now being threatened by Microplastic (MP) pollution. It is numerous, persistent in the environment, and intricate. Concerns about the impact of MP pollution on ecosystems on the environment, economy, and society have drawn a lot of attention to studies on potential alternatives and corrective measures. Recent technological developments in the clean-up of MP pollution, as well as their implications for the economy and society, have not been studied. A possible remediation pathway has also been described, along with perspectives on future activities. MPs are pervasive in all spheres of human interaction (soil, water, and atmosphere) and dangerous to ecosystem biota, eventually contaminating food systems and harming human health. As it degrades more quickly than conventional plastic and is more susceptible to microorganisms, biodegradable plastic is recognized as an effective substitute for conventional plastic. A combination of biodegradable plastics and bioremediation, which involves removing MPs from the environment by using microorganisms, suggests a potential solution to the issue of MPs polluting ecosystems. As a result, biodegradable plastics made from biomass that isn't edible, like algae, may offer a way to eliminate MP pollution and promote the sustainability of ecosystems. Determining the environmental, economic, and social effects of biodegradable plastics and the bioremediation of MPs in ecosystems is therefore crucial in order to identify any potential threats to ecosystems and human health.

Omics approaches have delivered significant achievement and have endorsed astonishing accomplishments in various aspects of life sciences research. Covid-19 has swept around the whole planet in the past two years and the extent of infection expanded is irreparable. These viral contaminants have affected the health of the environment of the planet by posing a threat to public health. This led to the production of enormous quantities of emerging and highly virulent waste products which had little waste management system. Biomedical products such as single-use face masks, PPE kits, syringes, sanitizer bottles, and latex gloves are discarded regularly in surplus amounts around the globe. The average waste production through COVID pollution is near about 2 million tonnes per day. The range of noxious materials in the environment keeps on multiplying every day in addition to these new pandemic wastes. Post-pandemic waste management has become extremely important due to the inclusion of both plastic and biomedical wastes from Covid-19 accoutrements. As they pose a huge risk to the well-being of public health and irreversible environmental contamination, degradation or remediation of these solid wastes is necessary. So, their identification and distribution are the need of the hour for response assessment and management of Covid generated waste products. The omics approach is a new, fast and robust technology in the field of bioinformatics including meta-genomics, multi-omics, meta-proteomics, meta-transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Due to the multi-OMICS approach, the genomic understandings aided in designing treatments and controlling the pandemic within the span of two years. Omics provide a wide range of utilities from reducing waste generation to effective degradation of biomedical plastic wastes and controlling the spread of viruses through immunization. This chapter emphasizes the significant aftermaths of omics-based, approaches, advances, restrictions, and challenges, in omics technologies related to Covid-19-generated waste treatment.

Plastics being ubiquitous and abundant have made the daily life of humans easy, convenient, and comfortable, recoiling from the packaging of food items and reducing food waste to using single-use plastics sustaining public healthCovid-19's emergence has resulted in an enormous quantity of abandoned face masks, gloves, and safety equipment on a global scale. As plastics are known not to degrade, they fragment and form small particles of various shape and sizes known as synthetic microplastics (1–5 mm) and enter the aquatic environment. The monthly consumption of surgical masks exceeded more than 120 billion and medical gloves were 60 billion by the end of 2020. Currently, the globe generates roughly 400 million tonnes of plastic garbage annually, with 200 million tonnes of wastes already gathered in the aquatic system and this figure is anticipated to almost treble by the end of 2040. The abundance of microplastics on the bodies of aquatic fauna, micro-biota by ingestion deciphers some adverse effects on their growth, metabolism and even enter into the food chain of humans causing reproductive and developmental toxicity, allergies, carcinogenicity, immune toxicity, respiratory diseases, inflammation, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and infections. Several countries have adopted several methods for reducing plastic wastes but still, the concerns about microplastics are on an alarming level and need an immediate solution. This review highlights a comprehensive analysis of key research linkages between the persistence of synthetic microplastics released from medical wastes in the marine bionetwork, their adverse effects on aquatic biota, microbiota, and humans, resolving with certain feasible remediation measures to help combat microplastics pollution in the aquatic ecosystem.

The sudden outbreak of pandemic leads to the exponential rise in the biomedical waste like personal protective equipment, testing kit, and surgical face mask and nitrile gloves. The Face mask which is mostly derived from the petrochemical based non-renewable polymeric material which is non-degradable and hazardous. The extensive use and reckless disposal can not only adversely affect human health but also leading to release of tones of microplastics to landfill as well as to the marine biome. The strategies for waste management and control must include a primary level treatment, starting from the limiting the production and use as per the requirement. The waste treatment methods such as segregation and decomposition, irradiation, detoxification using chemicals, and thermal induced treatments (incineration) must be implemented for convenient waste management promoting the ecological safety. Besides, implementation of reusable gowns and PPE, the subsequent sterilization and reuse of PPE for multiple patients may be prioritize to lessen the environmental threat. This chapter aims to discuss the advance recycling technique to recover multifaceted utilizable carbon fibers from face mask waste through thermal stabilization and pyrolysis. The carbon yielding pre-existeing fiber structure of polypropylene mask can be directly converted into various carbonaceous product having high and having potential application in oil adsorption and removing organic pollutants from aqueous environment. This chapter provides efficient alternative to contemporary waste recycling strategies to combat environmental contamination generated from COVID -19 pandemic through circular economy.

Covid 19 was one of the most cliff edges turn that the entire world has taken. In the end of the year 2019, the world encountered one of the deadliest pandemics ever that took lives of millions and trillions of people around the globe, which was later called as Corona virus. It not only took lives of people but also had an adverse impact on environment that made emergence of new environmental challenges and deteriorated the existing challenges. One such challenge was solid waste management. With the emergence of pandemic, the medical sector was seen at a chaotic instance. The increase in number of patients hospitalization has resulted in higher solid or biomedical waste production, with addition to that, the use of Personal Protective Equipment also known as PPE kits was at a rapid pace. SARS-COV-2 or the Novel Corona virus had made the entire world to kneel on lockdown situations. This has led to shutting down of hospitality industries affecting restaurants, hotels etc. The entire business came online and the public started ordering food instead of moving out. This has led to an increase use of plastic and polythene for food packaging and other cutlery which is also made of plastics. Ultimately, this has lead to increased pollutants that has also affected the water bodies. These plastics slowly decompose and lead to accumulation of microplastic pollutants in the environment. The ultimate question is leads to the cause of its affect. Here comes the failure of solid waste management system. The waste production that is a result of certain unavoidable environmental havoc is not in our hands. So, we need to have a robust solid waste management system and a well-planned strategic approach to combat environmental issues that could not be avoided and leads to high waste production.

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants that pose a serious threat to biodiversity, which has become a global environmental concern. In addition, coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has increased the demand for single-use plastics, which has exacerbated the already existing plastic waste problem. Recent developments have brought increased attention to the potential threats of MPs to soil health and terrestrial ecosystems. Apart from their pervasive, persistent, and toxic nature, MPs are also capable of transporting toxic metals, microbes, pesticides, and other contaminants. Despite being present in every environmental compartment, MPs have not been sufficiently researched in terms of their distribution and environmental consequences. The indirect introduction of MPs into human beings by eating aquatic or agricultural products are affecting their health which is of immediate concern. Several physical, chemical, and biological methods leading to MPs degradation are discussed. It is crucial to consider degrading solutions from the perspectives of material science and chemistry in order to address the MPs problem, especially to successfully minimize the creation and reduce the potential impacts of these pollutants. Moreover, multidisciplinary research and creative fungal approaches for MPs biodegradation are effective and environmentally benign. Studies on the biodegradation of macro- and MPs by fungus have revealed that they may utilize these substances as their exclusive source of carbon and energy. The natural and distinctive potential of fungi to colonize substrates employing enzymes that may detoxify contaminants and operate on non-specific substrates is discussed in this chapter. It is expected to provide insight into the knowledge of MPs fate in the terrestrial environment and directions for future remediation research.

Covid-19 has globally engulfed the nations of the world causing thousands of deaths, provoking social stigma, shattering the pillars of economies, and wreaking havoc on an unprecedented scale. However, the problem doesn’t end here, as Covid-19 has generated massive biomedical waste (BMW) posing a challenge to the existing waste management infrastructure. Moreover, it is also playing a key role in microplastic pollution leading to eutrophication. Segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous BMWs is a major step of BMW management. Additionally, safe disposal and sustainable management of BMW is essential, otherwise, the world will have to face a waste pandemic in the near future. BMWs or hospital waste is any biowaste that is generally infectious. General methods for managing BMWs are autoclaving, incineration, deep burial, and shredding. Moreover, the government has approved some new techniques like sharp/needle blaster, Positive Impact Waste Solutions-3000 (PIWS-3000), and plasma pyrolysis on a trial basis. But all the existing treatments are lacking flexibility and are found inadequate during the pandemic. This is an hour of the call to upgrade technologies and hi-tech approaches should be used for the initial handling and transportation of BMWs. Parenthetically, technologies like biological treatment, catalytic solar disinfection, alkaline hydrolysis, steam sterilization, upcycling, microwave treatment, and nanotechnology have tremendous scope for BMW management. The final products obtained after treatment can potentially be fabricated in the built environment. Moreover, research and community awareness can be helpful in making people mindful of this problem. Overall, this book chapter is a precise and detailed summary of post-pandemic monitoring of environmental compartments to assess the possible impacts of pandemic waste.

The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic has deeply impacted every aspect of human life, from lifestyle changes to economy, especially the healthcare sector. The escalating production of biomedical waste (BMW) in hospitals and quarantine centres has proven to be a challenging facet for management authorities which can be a source of viral and bacterial infection if not treated properly. The Covid-19 BMW such as personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, and face shields cause microplastic pollution in the environment. The presence of microplastic in the aquatic environment has already been reported as a serious problem for the past few years, but the extensive use of BMW also deteriorates air and soil quality. Therefore, safe and sustainable management of Covid-19 contaminated BMW is precisely essential to break the disease transmission and to reduce human health and environmental risk. The health workers, municipal workers, rag-pickers and other persons who are involved directly or indirectly in the Covid-19 war are at high risk of contamination & therefore disposal of BMW is needed through an efficient mechanism. Management of BMW can be achieved by using various techniques viz. Thermal Technique, Chemical Disinfection Technique, Carbonization, Gasification, Shredding, Bioremediation, Green Technology etc. The present study gives emphasis on different disposal strategies and advanced technologies for effective management of BMW; so that it can establish a safe, clean and green environment and also will be helpful in preventing the transmission of microbial diseases through biomedical waste.

Global public response to the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has tremendously impacted health, changing lifestyles, economics, supply chains, consumption patterns, and the environment. Medical face masks (MFMs) are crucial during this pandemic as a physical barrier to fight against multiple environmental exposures, such as the SARS-Cov-2 virus, by blocking filtrate exhalations and droplets from infected individuals. However, face mask usage and disposal on the globe have been projected around 129 billion per month. Accordingly, conservationists have warned about an unprecedented threat to the earth from a novel found of non-biodegradable microplastic litter caused by single-use facemasks, inappropriate disposal, and poor management. Recycling this waste in an eco-friendly manner is therefore urgently needed. The present review compiles information on an overview of the environmental impact induced by face mask waste along with several green technologies for sustainable solutions. Various approaches such as catalytic carbonization, fiber hybridization, valorization, and modifying asphalt were contributed towards a green and high-yield route for recycling single-use face mask wastes. Recently, it is confirmed that discarded face masks accruing pollution at the global level can be used sustainably to build a greener planet by which, sustainability and a circular economy are attained, along with efficient waste management. A few recommendations were also made based on the remaining knowledge gaps in order to guide future research directions. A worldwide focus should be placed on MPs pollution resulting from face masks.

Considering the increasing amount of plastic waste in the oceans, it is now obvious that plastic pollution poses a global societal and ecological concern. Discarded plastic pollutants gradually gets fragmented into microplastics (MPs) under the action of various environmental parameters. These microplastics get colonized by aquatic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and diatoms, which form a layer of biofilms on the outer surface of the plastic termed as “plastisphere and the microbes” that is thriving on the surfaces of these contaminants, known as the “plasti-ome”. Microplastic surfaces acts as a substrate, and offers an exceptional environment for the growth of diverse microorganisms. The development of plastic-specific biofilms and the microbial breakdown of microplastics in the aquatic ecosystem are the key topics of research in this domain. This review aims to emphasis on the expanding body of literature on the role of plasti “omes” in the biodegradation of plastic pollution and their mechanism. We have discussed “plasti-omics” characterization using advanced approaches such as measures of CO₂ and CH₄, weight loss and degree of disintegration, Spectroscopic analysis, Electron Microscopic analysis. The deep understanding of the underlaying mechanism of plastisphere process and patterns have a significant applications for microbes and microplastic interaction studies.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause serious illness in humans and other animals. In humans, they can trigger a variety of respiratory illnesses, including the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The virus is now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is called coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Like other coronaviruses, it has also come from animals. The majority of virus-infected individuals will experience a mild to severe respiratory disease and will recover without the need for special care. Nonetheless, some people will get serious illnesses and need to see a doctor. Serious sickness is more likely to strike older persons and those with underlying medical illnesses including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or chronic respiratory diseases. Covid-19 can cause anyone to become very ill or pass away at any age. During epidemics, up to one-third of the adult community-acquired upper respiratory tract infections. Furthermore, some coronaviruses may cause diarrhea in young children and infants. Mild to moderate respiratory illness is typical for those infected with the Covid-19 virus, but most people will recover without any special treatment. People over the age of 65 and those who already have conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, or cancer are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill.

The growing concern over the exponentially increasing omnipresence and accumulation of microplastics or MPs (size < 5 mm) in the environment has posed serious questions concerning the safety and well-being of all living organisms in the ecosystem. MPs possess the ability to reach human body cell tissues and organs owing to their ability to migrate through the biological food chain. Moreover, MPs often act as a vector for several co-habiting pollutants like heavy metals, organic substances, etc.; they also release toxic organic compounds such as dioxins upon degradation. The combined ecotoxicological effect of these properties on human and animal life is complex and not fully understood yet. To add to that, the Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the present crisis with a sharp increase in the demand for single-use plastics, primarily in the form of face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, packaging material, etc. Therefore, the most important task at hand lies in identifying the potential sources of MP pollution, which will not only assist researchers in devising efficient mitigation approaches, but also policymakers in formulating strategies to reduce influx of microplastics in the environment. This chapter seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence and distribution of MPs in the ecosystem. Special attention is directed at exploring the different sources from which MPs are released into the environment and highlighting the pathways through which MPs reach the atmosphere, soil and water. Also, an assessment of the impact of the COVID-related plastic waste on the environment is included as a part of this chapter. A brief discussion regarding the effectiveness of the prevalent mitigation strategies also follows.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is highly transmissible and has significant public health concerns worldwide. It mainly spreads through respiratory droplets but there is a possibility of transmission through contaminated surfaces, especially in hospital settings, which has raised widespread concerns. CRISPR/Cas biosensing technology has potential in hospital settings to develop a portable device that can detect viral RNA on surfaces, equipment, and in the air. This can help identify areas that require more thorough cleaning, disinfection, and enable rapid isolation of infected patients. The chapter discusses the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection through hospital-contaminated surfaces, equipment, and air, and the management of it through an on-site testing system using CRISPR-based biosensors. The chapter discusses the application of CRISPR-based biosensors, including specialized identification components like Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13, which can be used with various readout techniques such as fluorescence, colorimetry, and lateral flow assay. The technology can be used in medical facilities to create a portable tool that can detect viral RNA on surfaces, tools, and the air. With further development and implementation, it can be a valuable tool for improving hospital safety and controlling the spread of the virus.

Solid waste management (SWM) is a municipality function in developing and emerging economies. Sustainable development can be achieved by efficiently using solid waste as a renewable energy source. The Covid-19 epidemic has put additional strain on the waste management sector due to the increased amount of waste created by domestic and medical waste. Efforts to handle growing amounts of Municipal Solid Waste and Solid Medical Waste, and to stop the spread of illness, are now underway through waste containment and recycling programmes driving the development of several biodegradable/compostable alternatives. During a crisis, it is especially important to minimise the harm that municipal solid waste and small municipal waste cause to the environment by sorting trash at the source into contaminated and noncontaminated categories and then applying recycling and appropriate waste management practices. Municipal solid waste management entails collecting, transporting, and disposing of trash properly, including medical waste generated by hospitals and other facilities, should be a top priority nationwide. The scientific community must develop effective ways to manage urban garbage during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in developing nations. Global environmental and health problems might become far more complex and long-lasting if the Covid-19 epidemic effects on human behaviour and waste management were disregarded; the situation would seem very different now. This article examines the issues, alternatives, and solutions for handling municipal and solid waste during and after COVID 19 outbreak. The strategy must be maintained even after the pandemic has ended to lessen long-term environmental and health risks. This will ensure that waste management systems are resilient in future disasters.

Plastics, a form of synthetic polymers have a major role to play in the healthcare sector. The recalcitrant nature of plastics has discouraged their use in several nations so as to maintain a sustainable ecosystem. However, the large-scale use of plastics in hospital equipment and other healthcare-related essentials cannot be ignored owing to their durability and sterility. The Covid-19 pandemic served as a major jolt to the global healthcare sector accounting for millions of infected cases and deaths. This led to an upsurge in the use of plastic polymer-based hospital equipment, personal protective gear (PPEs), and RT-PCR kits thus leading to an alarming increase in plastic-based waste in the environment. The disposal of these hospital-generated plastic wastes was a major concern and was mostly carried out through conventional methods mostly involving techniques like landfills, and incineration thereby leading to serious environmental pollution. This made the research groups to look for alternative and sustainable remediation methods for controlling plastic pollution. The chapter focuses on environmental contamination as a result of improper disposal of Covid-19-based hospital-generated plastic waste. It further discusses several conventional as well as sustainable technologies for the remediation of environmental pollution due to plastic waste along with the several challenges and opportunities associated therein. It further emphasizes biological remediation methods for establishing a sustainable environment. It also puts forward the microbial-based remediation strategy as a more efficient, economically feasible, and non-polluting technique as compared to others.

There was an unprecedented upsurge in the use of protective equipment (PPEs) and other medical appliances during the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of which the amount of biomedical waste generated by hospitals increased manifold. Since majority of these PPEs and appliances are made up of plastic polymers, their unscientific disposal could be a major cause for generation of microplastics (MPs) with far reaching environmental consequences. Imposition of lockdowns as preventive measure too saw a sharp rise in the use of plastic containers and packaging materials majority of which were dumped in open and not recycled. A bulk of the MPs are not only ecotoxic, these have high affinity for other environmental contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides with probability of formation of compounds which could deleteriously impact biota in both soil and water. Microplastics generated from Covid biomedical plastic waste could have serious adverse impact on the physicochemical and biological quality of both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Covid-19 biomedical waste poses a massive challenge for hospital and government systems. The significant increase in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients during the epidemic has posed a serious threat to human health and the environment. The Covid-19 pandemic has created potential complications in various areas, including waste management systems. Separating Covid-19 waste from other biomedical waste is difficult, leading to environmental changes in marine environments, affecting the marine food source, and disrupting the socio-economy of worldwide inhabitants. Therefore, many categories of biomedical waste may be related to SARS-CoV-2 contagion. Proper segregation and management of different types of waste from homes, hospitals, isolation facilities, and operational supervision are critical in preventing the spread of the disease. There is an urgent need for proper forecasting at all stages of waste management, especially in countries with insufficient facilities. The increase in biomedical waste from the medical sector is due to the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and single-use plastics, resulting from the rising hospitalization rates as the infection spread drastically. The SARS-CoV-2 has had a significant impact on the global emergency and sustainability areas, particularly in Municipal solid waste (MSW) and biomedical waste (BMW). The objective of this book chapter is to highlight the challenges, solutions, and prospects of SARS-CoV-2 biomedical waste disposal during and post the epidemic.

The lockdown during the pandemic accounted for rise in water quality across the globe. Examples include the Grand Canal in Italy, river Basin in Turkey, the Ganga river (from Devprayag to Harki Paudi), improvement of the aquatic physicochemical parameters in China in the summer (2020) (67.4%) and the Klang Valley (Malaysia). All of these positive aspects are short-lived. The presence of Covid-19 spreading virus in municipal sewage and grey water has been reported in different locations around the world, it is subjected to impact directly. Simultaneously, the indirect effects include an upsurge in the generation of urban waste and an unforeseen spike in the production of PPE kits and other protective equipment will eventually found their way into different aquatic environments as wastes. The quarantine rules eventually escalated the discharge of packing materials into or near aquatic habitats as online purchasing and residential delivery flourished. Face masks and gloves are expected to be mishandled and improperly disposed of globally in amounts of 12,900 crore and 6500 crore every month in 2020, respectively. Polystyrene, polypropylene, polyester, or polyethylene make up disposable face masks. Food safety and security for people were seriously threatened by commercial fish and shrimp ingesting fragmented microplastics from face masks. Antimicrobials and steroids have all become more widely utilized during Covid-19. By way of bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes, the mixing of azithromycin, amoxicillin, and other antimicrobials in water sources through wastewater constituted a danger to the aquatic food web. Overuse of detergents and disinfectants to prevent the spread of viruses has a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems through their toxicity. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities during the lockdown placed a tremendous amount of pressure on the wild fish population.