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Microfibers in a Freshwater Ecosystem: Sources, Fate, Effects, and Mitigation
Summary
This review examines microfibers — including both synthetic plastic and natural fibers smaller than 5mm — in freshwater ecosystems, covering their sources, fate, biological effects, and potential mitigation strategies. Synthetic microfibers are released from textiles during washing and represent a major pathway of microplastic contamination in rivers and lakes. The authors call for improved textile design and wastewater filtration to reduce microfiber pollution.
Microfibers (anthropogenic fibers <5mm) are found in ecosystems around the world. Although microfibers have historically been lumped into the category of microplastics, they encompass a broader suite of contaminants. Microfibers reported in the environment are diverse including synthetic (e.g., polyester, nylon), semisynthetic (e.g., rayon, modal), and natural (e.g., cotton, wool) materials. Microfibers encompass more materials than microplastics, but microfibers are similar to microplastics in that they include chemical additives and accumulate ambient chemicals from the environment. Although there is some research on the prevalence, fate, and effects of synthetic (or plastic) microfibers, there are still many unknowns regarding the chemicals they may transfer, their environmental fate, and any potential toxic effects they may cause. Such research gaps are especially prevalent for non-plastic (or natural) microfibers. My PhD research addresses these gaps. I examine the sources, fate, and ecological impacts of both plastic and non-plastic microfibers. I then investigate a mitigation strategy for microfiber capture relevant to a known source of microfiber pollution, washing machines. Overall, I find: many types of microfibers contaminate freshwater fishes, including lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) (Chapter 2); cotton and polyester microfibers have similar effects on the benthic invertebrate, Chironomus dilutus (Chapter 3), but microfiber material type has different impacts on the bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and quantities of fatty acids in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (Chapter 4); and washing machine filters are an effective mitigation strategy for reducing microfiber emissions at a community-scale (Chapter 5). An understanding of how a diverse suite of microfibers contaminate and affect biota can advance microplastics research and inform effective policy.