COVID-19 face masks are still a must since many countries across the globe remain affected by the deadly pandemic. Recently, health experts discovered new more contagious variants than the older strains.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: A woman wearing a protective mask is seen in Union Square on March 9, 2020 in New York City. There are now 20 confirmed coronavirus cases in the city including a 7-year-old girl in the Bronx.
These are Deltacron, Omnicron, and Delta. Because of this, officials suggested that people still need to wear face masks when going outside.
However, a new study claimed that face coverings could also endanger your health as they are believed to contain titanium oxide particles.
COVID-19 Face Mask's Titanium Oxide Particles
The Nature journal published a report explaining why titanium oxide particles are harmful to humans when they are inhaled.
An employee controls health protection masks in a production chain of the Kolmi-Hopen company's factory, on February 1, 2020 in Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou, western France. - The company indicated receiving hundreds of millions of orders for health protection masks due to cases of coronavirus that emerged in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
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Experts said that TiO2 could be a carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) when people breathe them in. This just shows that wearing face masks can also lead to some health issues.
Previously, another study revealed that 70% of the face masks could contain titanium oxide particles ranging from 100 to 2000 mg. This just shows that TiO2 is available in the textiles used in face coverings.
Because of this, experts are now suggesting that officials either regulate the amount of these dangerous particles or phase them out.
If you want to see more details about the new study regarding COVID-19 face masks' titanium oxide particles, you can visit this link.
Other Harmful Substances That Face Masks Contain
Aside from the TiO2, WAVY.Com reported that there are other toxins currently present in various face coverings.
Some experts at Swansea University claimed that many face masks contain copper, lead, and antimony.
These substances usually come out when the face coverings are exposed to water.
After this alarming finding was revealed, various researchers questioned if people should wear face masks regularly.
Dr. Sarper Sarp, the leading researcher of Swansea's College of Engineering, said that wearing masks are needed if people want to end the pandemic.
However, Sarp explained that face masks must be studied further to know if they are 100% safe to use.
"But we also urgently need more research and regulation on mask production, so we can reduce any risks to the environment and human health," he added.
In other news, COVID-19 nasal spray is claimed to prevent the novel coronavirus from being inhaled. Meanwhile, pulse oximeters are now being used to detect COVID-19 infection.
For more news updates about COVID-19 and other health topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
