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Domestic Laundry as a Potential Source of Microfiber Pollution for the Deli River Medan
Summary
Every time you wash your clothes—whether by hand or machine—thousands of tiny plastic fibers (called microfibers) wash down the drain and into rivers, with this study finding over 1,300 particles per liter of laundry wastewater. These microplastics can eventually make their way into drinking water and the food chain, so the researchers suggest that better management of household wastewater could help reduce this often-overlooked source of pollution.
Abstract Microfibers are a form of microplastic frequently found in aquatic environments. Laundry activities contribute to the release of microfibers into the environment, particularly into rivers. This study aims to investigate the influence of community laundry practices washing techniques, water volume, and chemical use on the abundance and characteristics of microfibers. Samples were collected from households employing both hand-washing and machine-washing methods. The abundance and characteristics of the microfibers were analyzed using microscopy and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). The results indicate that laundry effluent contains synthetic microfibers, with an abundance of 1338 particles/L for the hand-washing method and 1317 particles/L for the machine-washing method. The abundance of microfibers was influenced by water volume and surfactant concentration in the wash water. The management of grey water at the household level is necessary to minimize the environmental impact of synthetic microfiber pollution.