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BIBTEX RIS

Mortality of a juvenile Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus, Spheniscidae) associated with the ingestion of a PFF-2 protective mask during the Covid-19 pandemic

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 166; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112232

1879-3363

Hugo Gallo Neto, Carla Gomes Bantel, John Browning, Natalia Della Fina, Tami Albuquerque Ballabio, Fabio Teles de Santana, Mariana de Karam e Britto, Carla Beatriz Barbosa,

Healthcare and Environmental Waste Management

We report the discovery of a dead Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) found on Juquehy Beach (23°46′S 45°44′W), municipality of São Sebastião, Brazil, on September 9th 2020. Following necropsy, we noted the presence of an adult size PFF-2 protective mask within the stomach of the penguin which we inferred as the cause of death. As far as we are aware, this is the first recorded instance of marine animal mortality by protective face mask ingestion. Whilst concerns have been raised relating microplastic contamination in marine environments from Covid-19 related waste, there has been relatively less attention paid to the potential risk of macro-scale contaminants, such as protective face coverings. We suggest that Covid-19 related macro contaminants be considered in coastal marine risk assessments and urge further research on this topic.