The pandemic has taught us a lot about nature and our safety. While the lockdown kept us home, nature started healing herself. But along with all these another real problem is waking at its pace and that is the mask disposal. Every citizen is using a face mask as it is the only effective measure but the disposal of the mask is becoming an issue for nature as well as animals and even humans. Hence, as a solution, people are using more disposable face masks for their safety.
What are disposable face masks?
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Disposable face masks are mostly known as surgical masks. A surgical mask is a personal protective object worn by health professionals during medical procedures but apart from these, surgical masks provide effective protection against the covid-19 virus.
What are the surgical masks made of?
Surgical masks are made of non-woven fabrics, mostly made from plastics like polypropylene to provide filtrations and protection. They also vary in different styles based on the level of protection. These masks have a multi-layered structure that covers a layer of textile with non-woven bonded fabric on both sides. As they are disposable the nonwovens are cheaper to make and are cleaner.
Benefits of using disposable face masks
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- Using a three-layer disposable mask allows a standard fit across the board providing and not near the ear look if necessary as well as expand the folds of The Mask to fit a larger face. Because of their breezy design, these masks can be worn on their own as well as underneath a cloth-based Mask of your preference.
- A four-layer face mask is breathable as well as it provides more protection.
- The pleated face masks with tie-up can be tied anywhere along the name of your neck to ensure a better fit. It allows adjustable fit as well as well protection against the virus.
- These are not for longer use hence after using a mask for one or two days you can easily replace it with a clean one and the cost of these masks is quite cheap compared to N95 masks.
- It is lightweight and easy to breathe in, which makes it more popular among the mass.
Disadvantages of using disposable face masks
- There is an increase in pollution as the sale of disposable marks increases.
- The disposable mask is creating a toxic problem for aquatic life. Most of us being careless dump our used mask at any relevant place we can think of which causes a huge problem for every other living organism on this planet.
- Disposable masks are very hard to recycle in the traditional recycling systems as the cost is more for the available local recyclers.
Different face masks for covid-19
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- Homemade cloth face masks – homemade cloth face masks can prevent the transmission of the virus from people without symptoms. Homemade cloth masks require washing after every use. Wearing cloth masks lowers the risk of people without symptoms. These masks can be made at home from common materials.
- Surgical face masks – surgical face masks or use and throw face masks are disposable, loose-fitting masks that can protect you from spray splashes and large particles. These masks vary in design based on the requirement of the user and the top of these masks contains a metal strip that can be shaped according to your nose structure.
- N95 respirators mask – these masks are more tight-fitting and can prevent you from splashes, sprays and large droplets as well as they can filter out 95% of very small particles providing you with the ultimate protection against viruses and bacteria. The recipe later it obtained is generally circular or oval and forms a tight seal to your face. It is very important to check the seal of the N95 to respirators every time you put the mask on. Some of these masks have an attachment known as an exhalation valve that helps with breathing and the buildup of heat and humidity.
Other effective measures to prevent covid-19
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- Washing and cleaning your hands frequently with alcohol-based sanitizer or with soap and water.
- Practicing proper physical distancing and avoiding contact with people who are sick and staying at home taking proper care.
- When you step outside you should be conscious of your face and prevent yourself from touching your face or mouth other than clean hands.
Covid-19 is a battle for all and only by maintaining all the safety protocols, we can prevent the virus from spreading and can escape from this new normal. Apart from taking care of ourselves, we should also take care of nature by preventing ourselves from throwing away our used masks here and there. Disposable masks provide protection but the disposal method is not as flexible as the mask. We should be more careful of surgical mask disposal.
