Some 25,900 tons of pandemic-related plastic now pollute the ocean, with the majority stemming from hospital and medical waste, a study has found. The study, published in the online journal PNAS on Monday, found that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 23 this year, approximately 8.4 million tons of plastic waste had been generated from 193 countries, with about 25.9 thousand tons released into the global ocean. The amount of plastic waste far exceeds the capability of countries to process it, researchers said, noting that the pandemic has led to an increased demand for single-use plastics that intensifies pressure on an “already out-of-control global plastic waste problem.” “The released plastics can be transported over long distances in the ocean, encounter marine wildlife, and potentially lead to injury or even death,” researchers said. The study notes that hospital waste represents the bulk of the global discharge, 73 percent, with …