버려진 마스크만 최소 8억개..."환경오염 주범 될라"<br /><br />The prolonged COVID-19 outbreak has led to an enormous amount of face masks being disposed off across the world, including here in South Korea.<br />Experts warn they could damage the environment as they contain plastic.<br />Lee Kyung-eun reports.<br />Hundreds of thousands of face masks are thrown away each day in South Korea,..and some are just tossed on the street.<br />At this park in central Seoul, cleaners are busy picking them up especially after a weekend of crowds enjoying the summer sunshine.<br />"Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, I see more face masks thrown away."<br />The problem is these masks are made of synthetic resin, the basic raw material used to produce plastic.<br />The filters, the key parts of the masks, are made by turning synthetic resins into thin threads.<br />If these threads end up in rivers or the ocean, they can break down into even smaller particles of just five millimeters in diameter.<br />"On a rainy day, these masks are swept into streams, then into the sea. There, the plastic is absorbed into the eco-system, including into fish."<br />Currently, South Korea's environment ministry advises people to throw away masks as general waste in standard garbage bags, which are then either be buried or burned.<br />Masks from hospitals are categorized as medical waste, and are immediately sent for incineration.<br />Experts say recycling is not recommended for masks given the mixed chemical substances and the possibility for virus transmission.<br />At least 8-hundred million face masks have been disposed of in South Korea since February after the introduction of the government's public rationing system.<br />While the country comes up with a long-term solution to deal with the mask waste, experts are urging people to dispose of them properly to minimize environmental damage.<br />Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.<br />
