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Single-Use Masks, Coronavirus Waste End Up Polluting Ocean, Activists Warn

A diver collects a face mask in waters off the Gurpinar Coast in Beylikduzu district of Istanbul, Turkey, on July 14, 2020. / Anadolu Agency / Getty / Kyodo

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By Kyodo News 24 July 2020

TOKYO—Environmentalists have warned that a global increase in the use of single-use masks, latex gloves and other protective gear for use against the coronavirus could exacerbate marine pollution.

OceansAsia, a grassroots environmental organization based in Hong Kong, reported earlier in the month that disposable masks were found floating underwater and on seabeds, caught among ghost nets and other debris.