IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF SURGICAL MASKS THREATENS THE ENVIRONMENT IN MWANZA

Improper disposal of surgical masks that people have been putting on in prevention of Covid 19 pandemic has led to the environment problem. The outbreak of covid19 pandemic is no longer a new phenomenon. Citizens around the world are hustling to take any possible measures to safeguard themselves against the corona virus and one of the precautions that people take is the use of surgical face mask. Along with it’s possible impact in preventing the spread of corona virus face mask is now led to the new health and environment threat due to the randomly disposal of it.
Dr. Damas from Bugando medical center said that improperly discarded masks, especially those who are soiled or have respiratory secretions on them, could be potential health hazards when come into con-tact with water and earthly organisms. The most vulnerable group will be the garbage collectors who are the source of infection for whoever they come into contact with. the mixture of polluted masks and other surgical waste may cause a potential danger to rubbish collectors when they put hands in the waste bins to collect recyclable items“ Damas said. Also Dr Damas said that the indiscriminate disposal of masks will also have a negative effect on the environment, especially on marine life, when they find their way to rivers and seas. “When plastic left in the water for long period of time will be enough for bacteria to grow on it, it actually smells like food which led animals to mistake this waste with food which could lead to entanglement, harsh ingestion and death“. Dr Damas said.
Also the NEMC lawyer Manchare Suguta said that the surgical mask is made by plastic materials and when plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and forms dangerous chemicals. When these chemicals leach underground, they degrade the water quality. The wind carries and deposits plastic from one place to another, increasing the land disorder. ”It can also get trapped on poles, traffic lights, trees, fences, towers, etc. and animals that may come in the locality and might suffocate them to death because the mass of plastic has displaced animals or the related toxins have poisoned them, plastic pollution does a lot of damage to the world’s ecosystems”. Manchare said
The Luchelele health officer Zafarani Nassoro said that the ward government makesefforts to find the waste collector agency since the former agency left the field due to negative response of citizens especially in payment hence the issue of environment protection now is on individual’s hands. “It’s also an individual’s responsibility to make sure he/she lives in clear and safe environment and also to follow the necessary guidelines including proper disposal of their mask and other surgical equipment’s” Zafarani said. She added that people must obey their goodwill and empathy unless otherwise the government will impose penalties for those who will try to go against the instruction provided by the authority.
Alex Majulu a resident from Ngaza Street said that the awareness among the people on proper ways of keeping the used mask is not well provided.“ You know sometimes we are doing mistake without any idea that it’s a mistake there are few people who real care about used mask as long as it“s already used no more efforts to keep it in safe area” Majulu said.
Theodore Tarimo an entrepreneur from Sweya Street said that government must allocate the specific areas to keep used mask since if there is no any safe area to keep it the problem will not end up. “When there is location to dump those used masks will be better and at such point those who will go against have to be punished rather than punish people before creating any suitable environment to keep it safe”. Tarimo said
According to the WHO“s health guide-lines, soiled tissues and used face masks must be thrown only into lidded litter bins, while any medical gear used by affected patients and hospital staff must be sterilized and burnt at high temperatures in dedicated incinerators. As such, only state-of-the-art incinerators operating at 850-1100°C, with special gas-cleaning equipment, can burn these items in accordance with inter-national emission standards.
...Story by ARNOLD CHARLES