Face masks a source of potent toxins

Toxicity of masks may shorten life and have carcinogenic properties.

Introduction

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is a multi-disciplinary journal that focuses on understanding the exposure and effects of environmental contamination on organisms including human health. The journal publishes observation-driven research, with emphasis on mechanistic understanding and/or reporting new phenomena.

NB: Authors note they did not address the risks of the inhalable living organisms in the review, yet there is also a large body of scientific evidence on this issue, describing the health risk for humans from animate toxins. They also did not address the toxicological risks of inhaled CO₂ from the mask.

• So the overall harms from mask wearing are likely even greater than cited here!

Authors

• Kai Kisielinski-Emergency Medicine and Clinical Medicine surgeon

• Stefan Hockertz-Toxicologist, Pharmacologist, Immunology consulant

• Oliver Hirsch-Psychologist

• Stephan Korupp-Emergency Medicine surgeon

• Bernd Klosterhalfen-Pathologist

• Andreas Schnepf-Chemist

• Gerald Dyker-Chemist

Type of masks evaluated

• N95

• Surgical

• Cloth

Typical mask use is for short periods

‘‘Surgical and N95 masks have been designed to be worn for very specific purposes such as in hospital surroundings and for a short period of time.’’

Toxic load

‘‘With regard to organic toxins, the N95 and textile masks (cloth) with high limit value exceedances are striking, while for microplastics the N95 seems to be responsible for higher exceedances than the surgical mask. For inorganic toxins, the textile and surgical masks appear to be the main sources.’’

‘‘The N95 mask showed a higher content and release for MP/NP, OPEs, OPFRs, PAHs than other mask types.’’

‘‘For inorganic toxins, the textile and surgical masks appear to be the main sources.’’

‘‘Alarming results’’

‘‘(63%) showed alarming results with high micro- and nanoplastics release and exceedances could also be evidenced for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).’’

• VOCs are known as hazardous substances to the HSE. (see links)

‘‘Additives used in the manufacturing processes of masks, including plasticizers, phthalates, UV stabilizers, and bishpenol A have already been shown to leach and cause adverse health effects in humans.’’

• Note cancer causing risk factor increase.

All harm and no benefit?

‘‘For masks to be demanded, the real-world side effects and risks must be lower than the risk of not wearing a mask. A gold-standard Cochrane evaluation, based on clinical trials found no substantive evidence of efficacy in preventing viral respiratory infections.’’

Harms to children

‘‘We believe there is an urgent need for action to protect children from toxins in face masks.’’

Other cohorts inc pregnant women

‘‘There is strong evidence that masks pose various risks, especially for pregnant women, children and adolescents, as well as older adults and the unwell. They have several demonstrably adverse effects, affecting physiology psychology and, most obviously, social interactions.’’

Mask efficacy vs ‘the COVID pandemic’

‘Some authors found significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality rates in the mask-wearing cohorts.’’

Further mask harm

‘‘Considering the weak antiviral effectiveness and the lack of medium or strong empirical evidence for face mask effectiveness in preventing respiratory virus infections wearing face mask frequently during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic – according to our results…

– may have led to negative health and possible life shortening effects.’’

Following the science?

‘Without a thorough risk-benefit analysis enforced mask obligations by law as happened in the SARS-CoV2-pandemic..

-acting against the evidence of science

(regarding mask effectiveness and mask hazardous substance content standardization)

should not be repeated in the future.

Conclusions

‘‘Mask mandates..have been generating an additional source of potentially harmful exposition to toxins with health threatening and carcinogenic properties at population level.’’

‘‘There is still is no empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the masks in limiting the spread of viruses in the general populace.’’

Additional information

We also have the environmental harms from mask use.

‘‘Mask contain chemical pollutants and tiny plastic fibres and eventually reach humans via the food chain.’’

‘‘An environmental disaster is looming.’’

-Professor Steve Fletcher, Director of Revolution Plastics at the University of Portsmouth

End

Links:

Full study- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323013623?via%3Dihub#fig0025

https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/solvents.htm

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d7a2912ed915d522e4164a5/VO__statement_Final_12092019_CS__1_.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-024-00598-1

https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/researchers-unmask-the-environmental-impacts-of-covid-19

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00824-1