Abstract

PRIETO-ORTIZ, Robin Germán. Environmental pollution by plastics during the pandemic and its effects on human health. rev. colomb. cir. [online]. 2023, vol.38, n.1, pp.22-29.  Epub Sep 23, 2022. ISSN 2011-7582.  https://doi.org/10.30944/20117582.2203.

The history of plastic dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, and it is considered that it originates from the interest in changing the raw material in the manufacture of billiard balls, originally made of ivory. Since then and for many years, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamides and other similar substances have been part of humanity’s daily life, to the point that some consider that we are living ‘The era of plastic’.

All the inputs and plastic elements have made life easier, but they have also caused great environmental pollution that affects fauna and flora, and of course the human being. The vast majority of countries have understood this situation, have enacted laws and designed strategies in order to contain the inappropriate use and generation of pollution caused by plastic.

Many of these measures have been stopped and even reversed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which in addition to all the known effects, has caused a disproportionate increase in the use of plastic materials, such as personal protection elements with the consequent increase in pollution and the risks it generates for human health. These issues are addressed in this article, in order to raise awareness among medical personnel and the general population.

Keywords : plastic; pandemic; contamination; COVID-19; legislation.

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