Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 2022, 10, 87-99 https://www.scirp.org/journal/gep ISSN Online: 2327-4344 ISSN Print: 2327-4336 DOI: 10.4236/gep.2022.1012007 Dec. 13, 2022 87 Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection The Impact of Face Mask Inks and Dyes on the Environment and Human Health Abderrahim Lakhouit, Wael S. Al-Rashed * Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abstract To reduce the impact of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, popularly known as the Coronavirus, many public health-related rules have been established around the world. Along with social distancing and lockdowns, most countries have mandatory wearing of face masks in public areas to limit the spread of the virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, because people are free to choose any method to make their masks, some are being fabricated from ma- terials that can be toxic to the environment and human health. This paper discusses how inks and dyes used in face masks are causing major environ- mental degradation and health issues in industry workers and the general mask-wearing public. The goal fixed for the present study is to raise the alarm with authorities and decision-makers regarding the toxic nature of some col- ors (dyes and inks) and fabrics in the masks being worn every day. Keywords Face Masks, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Inks, Dyes 1. Introduction In 2019, a new form of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak began in Wuhan, China, and the latter spread to the rest of the world. By March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) had named the illness “COVID-19” and declared it a pandemic. Measures and restrictions were introduced globally to halt the further spread of the virus, including lockdowns, social distancing, and public mandates. In particular, wearing masks and additional personal protective equip- ment (PPE) such as face shields and gloves became widespread in the public realm (Huang et al., 2020; Lakhouit, 2020). In many places, masks and face shields be- came mandatory by government order and had to be worn in public spaces such as schools, health care facilities, public transit, and shops. The masks were in- How to cite this paper: Lakhouit, A., & Al-Rashed, W. S. (2022). The Impact of Face Mask Inks and Dyes on the Environment and Human Health. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 10, 87-99. https://doi.org/10.4236/gep.2022.1012007 Received: November 3, 2022 Accepted: December 10, 2022 Published: December 13, 2022 Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access