We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment: Comparing the Physical Effects of Cellulosic and Synthetic Fibers via Characterization Factors Development
Summary
Researchers developed characterization factors for comparing the physical ecotoxicity of cellulosic and synthetic microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment, finding that despite high environmental abundance, cellulosic fibers had been previously excluded from LCA comparisons due to lack of species sensitivity data.
Abstract Textile clothing is a significant contributor to microfiber pollution in aquatic ecosystems. A large portion of these emissions are cellulosic-based, either natural (e.g., cotton, linen) or semi-synthetic (e.g., viscose, lyocell), which can be ingested by aquatic organisms, posing harmful effects even at environmentally relevant concentrations. Studies comparing the effects of cellulosic and synthetic fibers report conflicting results: some suggest synthetic fibers are more harmful, others the opposite. However, despite their high environmental abundance, the lack of a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) for cellulosic microfibers (CMFs) has prevented comparison of their effects with synthetic microfibers (SMFs). Further, while SMFs have been integrated into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through characterization factors (CFs), equivalent CFs for CMFs are missing, due to a lack of an exposure and effect factor (EEF) specific to these fibers. We derived CFs for six CMFs (cotton, linen, viscose, lyocell, rayon, and modal) by combining modelled fate factors in marine water and sediments with an EEF calculated from a hazardous concentration for 20% of species (HC20), using an SSD of EC10eq values. Taxonomically split SSDs were also obtained for further analysis of the mode of action of CMFs and microplastics. The HC20 for CMFs was not significantly different from that of MPs, suggesting similar physical effect mechanisms. Fate modelling indicated lower persistence for CMFs, resulting in CFs one to two orders of magnitude lower than those for SMFs. Computed CFs were applied in an LCA comparing the ecosystem quality impacts of a cotton and a polyester T-shirt while accounting for microfiber emissions. Results show that polyester emissions caused significant impacts compared to other lifecycle impacts, while cotton emissions did not. This work therefore provides the first comparative LCA of a cellulosic and a synthetic textile that considers impacts of microfiber emissions, and computes CFs compatible with different LCIA methods.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microfibers in life cycle assessment: comparing the physical effects of cellulosic and synthetic fibers via characterization factors development
Researchers developed characterization factors for cellulosic microfibers in life cycle assessment to compare their environmental impacts with synthetic microfibers. The study found that the hazardous concentration thresholds for cellulosic and synthetic microfibers were not significantly different, suggesting similar physical effect mechanisms, though cellulosic fibers showed lower persistence due to faster degradation in the environment.
Microfibers in Life Cycle Assessment: Comparing the Physical Effects of Cellulosic and Synthetic Fibers via Characterization Factors Development
Researchers developed species sensitivity distribution (SSD) curves for cellulosic microfibers to compare their ecotoxicological impact with synthetic fibers in aquatic ecosystems. Despite faster degradation, cellulosic microfibers were found to cause comparable or greater harm to aquatic organisms than synthetic fibers in some comparisons, challenging assumptions about natural fiber safety.
Including Impacts of Microplastics and Cellulosic Microfibers in Marine Water and Sediments in Life Cycle Assessment
This repository provides updated life cycle assessment (LCA) characterisation factors for the physical effects of microplastics — including both synthetic and cellulosic microfibres — on marine biota in water and sediment, enabling researchers and companies to more accurately quantify the environmental impact of plastic-containing products across their full lifecycle. Including cellulosic fibres from materials like rayon and viscose fills an important gap, since these semi-synthetic textiles are major sources of waterway microfibre pollution.
Updated and comprehensive characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
Researchers updated life cycle assessment characterization factors for microplastics, developing comprehensive factors that account for ecosystem quality, human health, and socioeconomic impacts across multiple environmental compartments. The updated factors enable LCA practitioners to more accurately compare the plastic pollution impacts of different product systems and waste management strategies.
Underestimation of Regenerated Cellulosic Microfibers in the Environment: Errors Introduced by Using Extraction Methods for Microplastics
Researchers discovered that common extraction methods designed for microplastics can damage regenerated cellulose fibers, leading to their underestimation in environmental samples. The study suggests that as production of regenerated cellulose fibers increases as a substitute for synthetic fibers, current analytical methods may significantly undercount their environmental presence.