The Bad Side of Face Masks and How Bacteria Can Help

The use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic prevented many people from catching the virus, but it also produced a lot of environmental pollution from microplastics—small pieces of plastic the size of an ant or smaller. Microplastics travel for months through rivers, lakes, and drainage systems, until they reach wastewater treatment plants where contaminants are removed from water. However, due to their unique characteristics and small size, microplastics are not eliminated from treated water and can end up in our food. Luckily, tiny organisms like bacteria can help us to tackle this problem by “eating” microplastics. In this article, you will learn about these small creatures and how they can help us remove plastics from water.