Table 2.
Summary of the experimental conditions and MP release from studies applying an optical microscope or stereomicroscope as a counting technique.
| Type of PPE | Medium | Stirring | Exposure time | Face mask source | Size range (μm) | Mean MP release (MPs/PPE) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgical face mask | Deionized water | 120 rpm | 24 h | New | <100 – >2000 | 183 | Chen et al. (2021) |
| Used | 1246 | ||||||
| Surgical face mask | MilliQ water | Shear damage a | 1 s | New | >100 | 0.3 × 105b | Morgana et al. (2021) |
| 120 s | 2.8 × 105b | ||||||
| Surgical face mask | Distilled water | – | 1–60 days | Old | <100–5000 | 46.3 | Present study |
| Seawater | 38.8 | ||||||
| Gloves | Distilled water | 23.4 | |||||
| Seawater | 21.8 |
a
Kitchen cutter.
b
Concentration expressed in items per m2 of face mask fabric.