Face MASK: What Exactly Are You INHALING

… review of 1003 studies

… We aimed to study the potential of face masks for the content and release of inanimate toxins

… 24 studies were included (experimental time 17 min to 15 days)

… 273 surgical, 228 textile and 130 N95 masks

… Most studies (63%) showed alarming results

… high micro and nanoplastics (MPs and NPs) release

… exceedances for volatile organic compounds, acrolein, phthalates

… for xylene, per/polyfluoroalkyl substances

… for Pb, Cd, Co, Cu, Sb and TiO₂

… toxins with health threatening and carcinogenic properties

… Face masks released contaminants … disturbing several ecosystems

… can induce multi-organ toxicity on a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial organisms

… its additives and sorbed contaminants may result in genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity

… may also contribute to the dispersion of pathogens

… and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in the environment

… the architecture of face masks (microscopic meshing) can provide a preferable base substrate for microbial communities

… Humans inhale emissions from a mask at nearly zero distance

… swallow water droplets originating from the moist dead space enriched with mask ingredients

… and still is no empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the masks in limiting the spread of viruses in the general populace ( Jefferson et al., 2023 )