介绍:
Feb.02 · 2021
在过去的一年中，N95 口罩、塑胶手套、医用防护服等一次性塑料制品成为了疫情中的救命稻草。为了应对疫情，一些国家甚至暂时中止了正在实施的“限塑令”。但世界各国在抗击疫情过程中产生的塑料垃圾，却并没有得到妥善处理——被人类扔弃的口罩，已经成为了野生动物的“噩梦”。疫情期间的“白色污染”已发展到了何种地步？我们又该做些什么来改善现状？让我们一起来读今天的文章吧！
From macaques to crabs, wildlife faces threat from face masks
Masks that helped save lives during the coronavirus pandemic are proving a deadly hazard for wildlife, with birds and marine creatures ensnared in the staggering number of discarded facial coverings littering animal habitats.
Single-use surgical masks have been found scattered around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries began mandating their use in public places.
Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose.
Macaques have been spotted chewing the straps off old and tossed-aside masks in Malaysia.And in an incident that captured headlines in Britain, a gull was rescued by the RSPCA after its legs became tangled in the straps of a disposable mask for up to a week.
The biggest impact may be in the water.More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, according to environmental group OceansAsia.Already there are signs that masks are worsening threats to marine life.Conservationists in Brazil found one inside the stomach of a penguin after its body washed up on a beach, while French campaigners Operation Mer Propre found a dead crab ensnared in a mask in a saltwater lagoon near the Mediterranean.
Masks and gloves are "particularly problematic" for sea creatures, says George Leonard, chief scientist from Ocean Conservancy."When those plastics break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles, " he told AFP.Those particles then enter the food chain and impact entire ecosystems, he added.
Campaigners have urged people to bin single-use masks properly and snip the straps to reduce the risk of animals becoming ensnared.OceansAsia has also called on governments to encourage the use of washable masks.
