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Microfibers in a Freshwater Ecosystem: Sources, Fate, Effects, and Mitigation
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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.
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This review addresses microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, examining sources including synthetic textile washing microfibers and cosmetic microbeads, and the secondary fragmentation of larger plastic debris. The authors assess the fate of particles in rivers and lakes, their effects on aquatic organisms, and the adequacy of current management approaches.
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This chapter reviews microfiber pollution in freshwater ecosystems, covering sources, environmental distribution, interactions with flora and fauna, and the pathways through which microfibers enter food webs and harm aquatic organisms.
Microfibers from textiles - A key source of microplastics to the environment: Fate, effects, and mitigation strategies
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Every time you wash clothes, tiny plastic fibers called microfibers shed from fabrics like polyester and nylon and wash into our rivers and oceans. This review pulls together existing research showing these fibers are one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution—and since they can end up in the water we drink and the food we eat, scientists are working on ways to catch them before they spread, like better washing machine filters and improved fabric designs.
Synthetic Textiles and Microplastics
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This review examines how synthetic textiles shed microfibers during washing and drying, covering the mechanisms of release, the environmental fate of microfibers in aquatic systems, and strategies for reducing microplastic pollution from the fashion and textile industry.
Microfibers from synthetic textiles as a major source of microplastics in the environment: A review
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This review examines how synthetic textile garments release thousands of microplastic fibers during each wash cycle, making laundry a major source of microplastic pollution. Even though wastewater treatment plants capture most fibers, billions still escape into waterways each day because the incoming volume is so enormous. These fibers end up in rivers, oceans, and soil, where they can be consumed by aquatic life and eventually reach humans through the food chain.
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