Face masks, latex gloves begin to trickle into seas

With crystalline canals in Venice, wildlife roaming undisturbed and clouds of haze lifting from above urban centers, environmental healing has been touted as a silver lining in the devastating coronavirus pandemic.

But as more and more people venture out after weeks or months of confinement, perhaps taking a trip to the ocean, they are faced with one of the pandemic's environmental costs - face masks and gloves polluting beaches, rivers and oceans.

"We've seen how glove and face mask litter in the ocean has increased considerably. Please, dispose of these items properly if you want the oceans to stay clean," said Carmen Soto Barrera, a professional fisher in Spain's Canary Islands, in a social media plea in late May.

Scuba divers in Spain have likewise noticed a fresh layer of personal protective equipment (PPE) mingling with fish, marine life and the usual plastic that covers the seabed.

In Spain, face masks have been made mandatory for all circumstances in which people cannot guarantee 2 meters (6 feet) of distance.

The Spanish government has regulated prices on one-time use surgical masks, at €0.96 ($1.08) to help increase their use. The masks are partially plastic, which can take hundreds of years to degrade, but cannot be recycled.

Authorities say they should be wrapped in a plastic bag and thrown into a regular garbage can.

"The role of plastics to help reduce the spread of coronavirus to keep people safe is absolutely clear," Richard Thompson, director of the Marine Institute and professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth, told Anadolu Agency.

"The problem is in the design phase - PPE is clearly being used in settings that were never anticipated - and in proper disposal. The good news is...