Increased use of antiseptics due to COVID19: a case study in Greece - anticipated effects on the marine environment

COVID19 pandemic started in China in 2019, when a coronavirus appeared that spread globally, causing severe health problems and increasing mortality. At that time, as there were no effective pharmaceuticals for treatment and no vaccines for protection, the only available means were preventive measures: antiseptics and masks. There has been a dramatic increase in their use, for human protection. However, the final receiver of all substances contained in antiseptics is the marine environent, where adverse effects could appear, degrading its quality, affecting marine organisms, and eventually, human. This paper reports the first study in Greece regarding the quantities of antiseptics used before and after COVID19 outbreak, in order to estimate their increase, while in parallel, an investigation of ingredients of antiseptics and their possible toxic effects was performed, in order to provide a primary picture of anticipated future effects of their increased use on the marine environment.