Abstract:
Over the past several years, the problem from disease transmited through secretion had created a tremendous smount of contaminated weste, predominantly disposable face masks, which required a proper management. Failure to handle these wastes correctly can result in negative health and environmental impacts. This research aims to estimation the volume of disposable face mask waste generated in Bangkok and assess the environmental impacts of various disposal methods. The sample group included the general population residing in Bangkok, since it was the province with the highest infection and mortality rates in Thailand. Data were collected through the surveys in three time sequences, with 413 participants in 2021, 238 participants in 2022, and 112 participants in 2023. Data collection was scheduled using an online platform using Google Forms. The study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily used of face masks ranged between 5,795,752 to 7,389,590 pieces, correlating with the rising cumulative number of infections. Moreover, 75.6% to 78.6% of used masks were disposed with regular waste, leading to improper disposal. It was also observed that the majority of the public lacks proper disposal knowledge, especially among younger individuals and those with less than secondary level educations. Therefore, it is vital to focus on educating and promoting a proper mask disposal behaviors. In assessing environmental impacts, the study employed Material Flow Analysis (MFA) in conjunction with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It was found that the scenarios with the highest proportion of landfill had the least environmental impact, whereas scenarios involving complete incineration had the most. In the short term, incineration is necessary to control pathogens and is easier to manage. However, landfilling contributes to the release of microplastics, a significantly of current environmental issue.