A novel method for the isolation, characterisation, and quantification of nanoplastic fibres released from synthetic textiles during laundering

Release of microplastic fibres (MPFs) caused by laundering of synthetic textiles is recognised as the main contributor to microplactics pollution of the natural environment, including air, water, and soil. Despite numerous studies on microplastics, research on the release of nanoplastic fibres (NPFs) remains scarce due to the big challenges associated with transitioning from the micro- to the nano- scale. We have developed a novel method that allows the isolation, fibre size differentiation and quantification of fibres released from acrylic, nylon, and polyester textiles during laundering simulations. The morphology of the MPFs and NPFs was fully characterised using scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A new protocol was also created using TEM as a quantification tool to plot the fibre length distributions, and measure accurately the total numbers of fibres in solution. Pyrolysis-GC/MS was employed to confirm types of polymers and their mass quantities. A parallel settling rate study investigated the vertical distribution and settling behaviour of NPFs depending on their chemistry and size. The highest release of fibres was for nylon fabrics (28million/kg) followed by polyester (23.5million/kg) and acrylic (12.6million/kg), with 90 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559411/document