Isabel Mathew
While many aspects of health faced only the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic,
environmental health was affected in both positive and negative ways during the pandemic. In
the article “Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of
sustainability,” authors Tanjena Rume and S.M. Didar Ul-Islam examined the positive and
negative effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on environmental health. With this, they also
described ways to generate greater environmental sustainability both during and after the
pandemic. With the slowdown of social and economic activities came improved air and water
quality in many countries during 2020. Due to a reduction in transport via land, water, and air, a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions was observed across the world. For instance, “In the US NO2 declined 25.5%...54.3%...in Sao Paulo of Brazil...70% in Delhi” (Rume and Islam, 2020). Additionally, many countries saw a reduction in industrial water consumption; as a result, water quality actually reached levels within surface water and national drinking water standards.
Apart from water quality improvement, other aspects of ecological restoration were also made possible with less traffic and pollution released in tourist attractions. This can be seen in the “returning of dolphins...in the coast of the Bay of Bengal, and canals, waterways, and ports of Venice...”(Rume and Islam 2020). Unfortunately, in trying to help public health, environmental health has also faced serious repercussions that end up negatively affecting public health in both the short and long term. During the outbreak of COVID-19, there was a significant increase in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and biomedical materials like needles, syringes, and bandages, making efficient waste management an extreme challenge. Multiple big cities experienced around 154-280 metric tons more medical waste per day than before this pandemic, like Wuhan, China, where “more than 240 metric tons of medical wastes [were produced] every day” (Rume and Islam, 2020). Furthermore, many people dump PPE in open places or with household wastes, most likely not knowing that this increases the risk of transmission of the virus to waste workers and that the plastic found in PPE releases toxins dangerous to the environment.
Moreover, recycling activities were postponed due to concerns about the transmission of the virus on plastics and cardboard from delivery packages as online shopping became the norm. So how do we sustainably move forward from here, especially since social and economic aspects of people’s lives have been gaining more traction since the COVID-19 pandemic? While many of the negative consequences of this pandemic on environmental health are short-term, the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting environmental health both directly and indirectly. Though it will take time, many resources, and much consideration into the many aspects and circumstances of different regions and people’s lives, moving towards more sustainable industrialization, proficiently managing wastewater and reuse, and utilizing renewable energy are just a few practices that will allow us to reap the rewards of thinking and acting for the long-term health of both the public and environment.
References:
Rume, T., & Islam, S. M. D.-U. (2020). Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of Sustainability. Heliyon, 6(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04965
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