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Design of Chitosan-Polyester Composites to Reduce Particulate Contamination of Washing Wastewater
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Researchers modified polyester fabrics with chitosan biopolymer coatings to reduce the amount of microplastic fibers shed during washing. Chitosan-treated fabrics released significantly fewer fiber particles, offering a practical approach to reducing microplastic pollution from laundry — a major source of aquatic microfiber contamination.
In this research, the modification of different polyester structures (fabrics and knits) by the biopolymer chitosan was studied to evaluate the effects of the polyester structure and treatments on the particulate pollution of wastewater. The pristine polyester and the chitosan-polyester fabric and polyester knit composites were washed cyclically with standard ECE A detergent at 60 °C. The laser diffraction technique was used to characterize the particle size of the washing wastewaters from the 1–5, 6–10 and 1–10 wash cycles. In addition, the total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were also determined, according to standard procedures. The obtained results show the influence of the polyester fabrics and polyester knit structures and chitosan-polyester composites on the particle size distribution (PSD) in the washing wastewater. Differences in the values of the characteristic parameters, especially the span value and shape factor (k) of the individual curves, are visible, indicating the release of particles during the washing process. The experimental results show that the laser diffraction technique is suitable for characterizing the particle dimensions of the washing wastewater for different pristine polyester structures and chitosan-polyester composites. Modification with chitosan has been shown to provide potential protection against the release of microplastic particles into the environment.
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Researchers found that pre-treating synthetic garments with chitosan—a natural biopolymer—before washing significantly reduced the number of microfibers released during laundering. Since washing synthetic clothes is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution in waterways, chitosan treatment could be a practical way to reduce this contamination at the source.
Impact of Chitosan Pretreatment to Reduce Microfibers Released from Synthetic Garments during Laundering
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This study tested whether treating synthetic garments with a chitosan (natural shellfish-derived polymer) coating before washing could reduce the number of microfibers released into wastewater. Chitosan pretreatment significantly reduced microfiber shedding from both polyester and nylon fabrics. This approach offers a practical, scalable way to reduce microfiber pollution at the source — the washing of synthetic textiles — which is one of the largest contributors to microplastic contamination in waterways.
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Every time you wash polyester clothes, tiny plastic fibers break off and wash into our waterways—and eventually, potentially into our food and water supply. Researchers found that treating polyester fabric with a special surface coating (using a natural, shrimp-shell-derived substance called chitosan) before washing cut the release of these microplastic fibers by up to 63%. This suggests clothing manufacturers could one day treat fabrics during production to significantly reduce microplastic pollution before it ever reaches your washing machine.
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Researchers investigated microplastic fiber release from polyester fabrics during washing, characterizing the quantity and types of microplastics generated and their potential pathway into wastewater systems as a significant source of environmental microplastic pollution.
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