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Release of polyester and cotton fibers from textiles in machine washings
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Researchers quantified the release of polyester and cotton microfibers from textiles during sequential machine washings. They found that the first wash released the most fibers, with amounts decreasing in subsequent washes, and estimated that household washing machines in Finland release hundreds of thousands of kilograms of textile microfibers annually. The study highlights laundry as a significant and ongoing source of microplastic and microfiber pollution entering wastewater systems.
Microplastics are widely spread in the environment, which along with still increasing production have aroused concern of their impacts on environmental health. The objective of this study is to quantify the number and mass of two most common textile fibers discharged from sequential machine washings to sewers. The number and mass of microfibers released from polyester and cotton textiles in the first wash varied in the range 2.1 × 10 to 1.3 × 10 and 0.12 to 0.33% w/w, respectively. Amounts of released microfibers showed a decreasing trend in sequential washes. The annual emission of polyester and cotton microfibers from household washing machines was estimated to be 154,000 (1.0 × 10) and 411,000 kg (4.9 × 10) in Finland (population 5.5 × 10). Due to the high emission values and sorption capacities, the polyester and cotton microfibers may play an important role in the transport and fate of chemical pollutants in the aquatic environment.
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