Environmentalists have sounded the alarm over the grave damage discarded face masks and gloves are causing to the planet.
More than a year on from the start of the pandemic, they are ending up on our streets, in the oceans and at landfills imperiling animals and marine life.
Experts also called for people to dispose of these items responsibly and opt for reusable masks if possible.
[We need to use this] as an opportunity to educate public that improperly disposed face masks could be hazardous to wildlife
“This is a global issue and one we have noticed here in Abu Dhabi too," an official from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi said.
"[There has been] an observed increase in the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) associated with the pandemic entering the environment – mainly masks and gloves.
“We ask people to dispose of items responsibly so that it does not enter the environment where it could be consumed by some of the wonderful biodiversity we have here in the UAE.
“If anyone comes across an animal, including birds, entangled in a facemask, they can report it to EAD on 800 555.
“[We need to use this] as an opportunity to educate public that improperly disposed face masks could be hazardous to wildlife.”
In a recent global study published in Environmental Advances, surgical masks were submitted to an artificial ageing experiment and exposed to seawater.
Findings showed that a single face mask could release as many as 173,000 microfibers a day into the seas and oceans.
“Disposable face masks have turned from a specific tool designed for healthcare professionals to a generalised measure to mitigate the propagation of the virus," researchers said.
In 2020, tens of billions of face masks were produced worldwide and improper disposal by the general public led to a sharp rise in waste.
Alarmingly, about 1.5 billion masks entered oceans last year, which amounted to an average of 5,460 metric tonnes of plastic pollution, according to Hong Kong's environmental group, OceanAsia. Today, PPE lays strewn on streets, in forests and in the UAE's deserts too.
During a clean-up campaign in Sharjah in January, Pavel Kashirskiy, an off-road marshal at the Offroaders driving club, was shocked to discover gloves and face masks far out in the desert.
He told The National that face masks had become a regular find on their weekly clean-up outings.
Habiba Al Marashi, chairwoman of Emirates Environmental Group, a local NGO, said discarded PPE items had a massive impact on the natural environment. "All of these items must be properly discarded in a closed dustbin," said Ms Al Marashi.
"Unfortunately, due to its light weight, it tends to fly around in the wind. If a dustbin is not closed, it can tend to take flight and spread around.
“These plastics do end up in the ocean and, in the case of the UAE, the desert.
"This is not good for the wildlife, which often feed on tiny plastic."
In the extreme temperatures in the UAE, Ms Al Marashi said, the plastics can quickly dry, become brittle and disintegrate into smaller pieces and micro plastics within days.
Ms Al Marashi, through her role with the group, has been trying to educate the public on the dangers of dumping such items incorrectly.
Over the past few months during its clean-up campaigns, members and volunteers from Emirates Environmental Group have regularly come across PPE.
“Often these items we find in the desert are discarded during picnics and family outings. People do tend to carelessly discard a variety of manmade objects in the desert, which never work well in nature and on the wildlife,” Ms Al Marashi said.
She urged people to opt for reusable cotton masks instead of disposable ones.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
