Bacterial Diversity of Discarded Face Masks from Landfills, Mangroves, and Beaches, in Java, Indonesia

Abstract

As the number of Covid-19 cases has increased, the production and use of face masks have also increased accordingly. This widespread use of face masks generates millions of tons of mask waste. This study analyzed the bacterial community composition of discarded masks from landfills (Piyungan, Jatibarang, Burangkeng); mangroves (Wanatirta, Tirang, Teluk Naga); and beaches (Parangtritis, Marina, Tanjung Pasir) in Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bekasi, and Tangerang, Java, Indonesia using 16S rRNA sequencing. Analyzing all samples from landfills, mangroves, and beaches revealed that the Proteobacteria phylum is the predominant. In addition, Firmicutes was the second-highest phylum in the samples from landfills and mangroves. In the meantime, Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria dominated the phyla found in samples from beaches. Analyses at the genus level revealed that Bacillus members predominated in samples of discarded face masks from landfills. In addition, the most prevalent genus found in samples from mangroves and beaches was Vibrio. According to the findings, the distribution of bacterial communities differed among the various regions. Dissimilar bacterial communities and gradient distributions were found among discarded face masks in landfills, mangroves, and beaches. It was the first examination of bacterial distribution in discarded disposable face masks from various locations.