In what ways has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the environment?

Introduction

This research report is based on the fact that, as the COVID19 pandemic has devastated the environment. Minimal progress has been made with succeeding governments in order to put the COVID19 infection under control. In the grand scheme of things, the pandemic generated huge socioeconomic disruptions all over the world (Cheval, et al., 2020). These disruptions have direct or indirect effects on the environment, such as the improvement of air and water quality, the decrease of noise, and the restoration of natural systems (Rume & Islam, 2020). Additionally, a strain is being placed on the environment as a result of the growing usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as the inadvertent disposal of this equipment (Verma & Prakash, 2020). In light of these facts, the purpose of this research is to investigate both the good and bad effects that the COVID19 epidemic has had on the surrounding ecosystem, as well as to provide some suggestions on future approaches for achieving environmental sustainability.

Positive Environmental Effects

Reduction of air pollution and GHGs emission:

In an effort to cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, several enterprises, modes of transportation and industrial facilities have been shut down (Verma & Prakash, 2020). This has resulted in an immediate reduction in emissions/ As a result of the actions taken to keep the virus under control and containment, the air quality in New York has improved by around fifty percent in comparison to the same time period in the second year. It is anticipated that the closure of heavy industries in China is responsible for fifty percent of the coupling of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide.

Reduction of water pollution:

Water pollution is a typical source of development, and India and Bangladesh both dominate the industry in the areas where it resides (Rume & Islam, 2020). One of the goals of this project is to eliminate water pollution. The amount of cleanliness that is really present is not as high as it is thought to be as a result of pollution caused by industry.

Negative Environmental Effects

Increase of biomedical waste generation:

Since the COVID19 pandemic broke out, there has been a global surge in the generation of biological waste, which poses a significant risk to human and environmental health (Verma & Prakash, 2020). Hospitals produce a great deal of infectious and biological waste due to the collecting of samples from patients suspected of having COVID19, as well as for the diagnosis, treatment, and disinfection of large numbers of patients.

Safety equipment use and haphazard disposal:

Healthcare waste has increased as a result of the widespread use of face masks, gloves, and other safety equipment to prevent the spread of viral infections. It has been observed that the growing usage of PPE at the home level has led to a rise in trash in the United States (Cheval, et al., 2020). There has been a global uptick in the manufacturing and usage of PPE made from plastic since the spread of COVID19.

Conclusion

This research suggests that the worldwide spread of a pandemic would have a positive effect on the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, cutting down on water and noise pollution, and relieving pressure on popular tourist locations. In addition, COVID19 has several unintended implications, including increased medical waste, antibiotic overuse and waste, improper disposal of masks and gloves, and an unsolved waste load that continues to damage the environment.