Fahad Buhendi (Fujairah)
Engineer Fatima Al-Hantoubi, a researcher and specialist in the environmental field, confirmed, in an exclusive interview with Al-Ittihad, that the initial view of the reality of “Corona” and its impact on the environment was limited at the beginning of the “pandemic”, as the initial assessment was within the framework of the ban on movement and movement, which accompanied the “pandemic.” » At its beginning, which reflected a positive impact on the environment at the beginning of the crisis, due to the recovery of biodiversity.
She added: We began to monitor animals in places we did not expect to appear, such as whales in the sea, flocks of birds and various creatures, which is due to the decrease in the noise of tankers, and the improvement in air quality, including the concentrations of dust particles in the atmosphere (PM2.5 and PM10) that appeared much lower. From previous years, as explained by the United Nations in its research, which indicates the extent of improvement in air quality and the decrease in harmful emissions.
She explained: The positive impact of the “pandemic” was temporary on the world, and it is only a period of time and the negative features of the pandemic began to appear on the environment, most notably COVID-19 waste with many examination surveys, plastics and disinfectants, as well as hand-cleaning chemicals that contain a high percentage of Triolusin is an insecticide that converts to dioxin, a highly toxic compound when exposed to sunlight.
Engineer Al-Hantoubi said that the waste of face masks is for the world the dark side of the “pandemic.” Every minute we dispose of 3 million masks. The manufacture and packaging of disinfectants and sterilizers that are indispensable in this “pandemic” increase in hazardous waste and plastic waste, as it has become alarming for the environment and ultimately affects biodiversity, and it is true that there are studies conducted on biodiversity during the “Corona” pandemic and some of them have proven that “ The pandemic” has a positive impact on biodiversity, and there are many global examples, as well as the death rates of animals in waterways such as fish and dolphins decreased by 40%, but these data and studies focus on the direct trend of animal death, leaving into consideration the long-term impact of the spread of waste In the environment, the danger of disease waste today creates future dangers that threaten whole organisms in the future. Masks, swab sticks, and test tubes are a plastic burden because they are not biodegradable.
The engineer pointed out that, according to the report of the Asian Oceans “Asian Marine Environmental Protection Organizations” based in Hong Kong in 2020, an estimated 1.5 billion face masks were flooded in our oceans, which will increase the pollution area in the seas from 4,680 to 6,240 metric tons. The medical face mask is made of polypropylene, a plastic that does not decompose until after 450 years, and turns very slowly into fine materials that negatively descend on wildlife and other ecosystems, knowing that current scientific research has focused mainly on medicine and health during the “pandemic.”
innovative solutions
Engineer Fatima Al-Hantoubi confirmed that there are always innovative and viable solutions in waste management and reuse systems, for example, using reusable masks, spreading the culture of designing recycled masks, and spreading awareness among individuals of the bad impact that consumed masks have on biodiversity, and then on humans. The environment and activating the integration of the innovation policy in the development of tools used in the examination of any viral contaminant or any use as a tool for prevention of any disease, as well as providing waste management with new technology by which we can dispose of plastic waste or tools to prevent any disease without direct disposal, knowing that the damage that accumulates Today came as a result of the increase in the use of plastic as a new behavior that entered us as a result of the “Corona” crisis.