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Supplementary information files for "Tailored analytical approaches to assess microplastic fibers and nanoparticles release from textiles during washing"
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Every time you wash synthetic clothes, tiny plastic fibers and even smaller nanoparticles wash off into wastewater. Surprisingly, PLA fabric, often marketed as a "plant-based" eco-friendly alternative, actually shed more of these particles than regular or recycled polyester. This suggests that "biobased" doesn't automatically mean better for reducing microplastic pollution.
Supplementary files for article "Tailored analytical approaches to assess microplastic fibers and nanoparticles release from textiles during washing" Synthetic textile laundering is a major source of microplastic fibers (MPFs) and nano-sized particles (NSPs) to freshwater environments, yet their comprehensive characterization remains analytically challenging due to their broad size range, heterogeneous composition, and co-release of organic and inorganic constituents. This study presents an integrated, multi-technique analytical framework to evaluate the release of MPFs, NSPs, polymer mass, and associated elements during washing of textiles produced from virgin poly(ethylene terephthalate) (Standard PET), and its sustainable substitutions being Recycled PET and poly(lactic acid) (PLA). A tiered analytical approach was implemented to capture textile emissions across micro- to nanoscale particle dimensions. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were applied for MPF quantification and morphological assessment, while dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) provided complementary information on the size distributions and number concentrations of NSPs in the sub-micron fraction. Atomic force microscopy provided high-resolution imaging of individual NSPs, yielding detailed information on particle shape and surface morphology. Polymer-specific mass release from the MPF fraction was quantified using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), supported by total organic carbon analysis, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to assess changes in the chemical composition of textiles after washing. In parallel, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to assess the release of inorganic elements and trace metals associated with textile materials. Using the tiered analytical approach, released MPFs ranged from 455 to 843 µm in length with the average diameter from 11 to 23 µm. NSPs released during washing tests ranged from 25 to 100 nm. PLA textiles released more MPFs (2.28 × 105 particles/kg) than Standard PET (1.40 × 10⁵ particles/kg) and Recycled PET (1.32 × 10⁵ particles/kg). NTA indicated that PLA also released the highest concentration of NSPs (1.97 × 1010 particles/mL), followed by Recycled PET (1.37 × 1010 particles/mL) and Standard PET (8.77 × 109 particles/mL). Py-GC/MS revealed higher polymer mass release from PLA (0.36 ± 0.07 mg/L) compared with Standard PET (0.25 ± 0.03 mg/L) and Recycled PET (0.21 ± 0.03 mg/L). In addition, measurable leaching of 56Fe (19.14 µg/L) and 121Sb (28.26 µg/L) of washing water was detected. Overall, this study highlights how the strategic combination of complementary analytical techniques enables a holistic assessment of textile-derived MPFs, NSPs, and metals emissions during textile washing and reveals differences between conventional synthetic and biobased textiles with tailored analytical approaches, providing new insights for environmental risk assessment. © The Author(s), CC BY-NC-ND-4.0
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Supplementary information files for "Tailored analytical approaches to assess microplastic fibers and nanoparticles release from textiles during washing"
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Every wash of your synthetic clothes releases tiny plastic fibers and even smaller nanoparticles into wastewater, which can end up in rivers and lakes. Surprisingly, PLA (a "biobased" fabric often marketed as eco-friendly) shed more plastic particles than regular or recycled polyester. Scientists also found trace metals like iron and antimony leaching into the wash water, raising questions about what we're exposing our water systems, and potentially ourselves, to.
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