The current ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has forced the massive consumption of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide, among which the disposable face masks for single use are one of the most used PPE to stop the transmission of the virus. However, all those masks carry both financial and environmental costs. The Covid-19 pandemic has been estimated to generate up to 7,200 tons of disposable mask waste every day. As most of these face mask wastes contain either polypropylene and/or polyethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly-acrylonitrile, such non-biodegradable waste threatens the environment with a new form of plastic or microplastic. Considering the hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties of the non-woven fabric face masks, a new eco-friendly strategy for recycling disposable face mask waste is used to separate oil-water mixtures. Face masks can separate various oils from oil-water mixtures, with high separation efficiencies exceeding 98%. Importantly, the face mask waste can separate oil-water mixtures containing HCl (pH=1), NaOH (pH=13), and NaCl (3.5wt%) with separation efficiency above 95%, which enables them to be competent for oil-water separation in complex and harsh environments. Interestingly, the hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity of face masks are still maintained after immersing in solutions with different pH values for at least two weeks, suggesting the excellent durability and stability. In summary, the recycled face mask waste not only removes oil from oily wastewater (like floating oils and oil spills), but also realizes the recycling of face mask waste. This strategy provides new insight into the management of the blooming face mask waste pollution.

Recycling disposable face masks for oil-water separation

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