Role of Textile Industries in Microfiber Pollution

Due to the rapid growth of the population and fast fashion, the demand for the production and consumption of textiles is increasing day by day. Textiles release microfibers to the environment during production, use, and end-of-life disposal. Microfibers are lint that is shed from textiles, usually in the laundry, and they eventually reach marine and freshwater bodies, affecting the flora and fauna of these aquatic ecosystems. Microfibers (plastics of less than 5 mm length are considered microplastics) are made of plastic fibers derived from crude oil or natural gas. Most common synthetic materials and textiles are composed of polyester, polypropylene, and polyamides. Inert carbons, present in these synthetic materials, are reported as carriers for heavy metals into aquatic environments, which, in turn, exhibit diverse interactive effects. The heavy metals adsorbed on microfibers get entrapped in the biofilms and thus find their way into different trophic levels of the food chain. The aquatic life that preys upon the biofilms is directly affected by the heavy metal-laden microfibers, while others are affected through the food web in the ecosystem. The present study explains the influence of various chemical and mechanical textile finishes on the release of fiber fragments.