Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Development and Efficiency Evaluation of Microplastic Removal Filter for Laundry Machines

Researchers developed a four-stage filter for laundry machines designed to capture microplastics released during washing. Over 50 tests, the filter achieved an average microplastic removal rate of 98.5%, along with 92% removal of chemical oxygen demand. The most common microplastics in laundry wastewater were polyethylene (57%), followed by PET and nylon, highlighting both the scale of laundry-related microplastic pollution and the effectiveness of filtration solutions.

2025 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Filtering Systems to Reduce Microfiber Emissions from Textiles during Household Laundering

This study evaluated sustainable filtration systems for capturing microfibers released from synthetic textiles during household washing, assessing their efficiency in reducing the entry of these microplastic fibers into wastewater.

2023 Polymers 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of MiniPlast Filters for Microplastic Removal from Laundry Wastewater

Researchers evaluated MiniPlast in-washing machine filters for capturing synthetic microfibers released during laundry cycles, finding that the filters significantly reduced microplastic emissions in wastewater and could serve as a practical household intervention for reducing microfiber pollution.

2025 Jurnal Pengelolaan Sumberdaya Alam dan Lingkungan (Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Management)
Article Tier 2

Are we overestimate the contribution of microplastics from industrial laundry? Microplastic exploration in an industrial laundry: Quantification and elimination

Researchers investigated microplastic contributions from an industrial laundry in Sweden and tested two filtration technologies for removal. Both drum filtration and ultrafiltration achieved over 90% microplastic removal efficiency by mass, with polyester and smaller fragments being the most prevalent particles. However, a mass balance analysis revealed that local town wastewater contributed even more microplastics than the industrial laundry, suggesting that the contribution from industrial laundries may be overestimated.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Improvement of a microfiber filter for domestic washing machines

Researchers improved a microfiber filter designed for domestic washing machines to more effectively capture synthetic microfibers and microplastics released during laundry cycles, testing filter performance across different fabric types and washing conditions. The enhanced filter design achieved higher capture rates of microfibers compared to existing solutions, representing a practical household-level intervention to reduce microplastic emissions to wastewater.

2022 Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics from textile origin – emission and reduction measures

This paper reviews the emission of fibrous microplastics from synthetic textiles during washing and their pathway through wastewater treatment plants into aquatic environments. It also summarizes available reduction measures such as laundry filters and fiber-releasing fabric design modifications.

2021 Green Chemistry 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Pore-size and polymer affect the ability of filters for washing-machines to reduce domestic emissions of fibres to sewage

This study tested whether washing machine filters could meaningfully reduce the emission of synthetic textile fibers into sewage. Results showed filter effectiveness varied significantly by pore size and fiber type, and current consumer filters did not eliminate fiber emissions, suggesting they are insufficient as a standalone solution for microplastic pollution from laundry.

2020 PLoS ONE 17 citations
Article Tier 2

A Janus branch filter for washing machines: Simultaneous removal of microplastics and surfactants

Engineers developed a Janus-membrane branch filter for washing machines that simultaneously removes microplastics (capturing 78–89% of dreg by weight) and surfactants from laundry wastewater in a single step. This is a promising household-scale solution to one of the largest sources of microplastic release into waterways, since synthetic textiles shed enormous quantities of plastic fibers with every wash.

2023 Chemosphere 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Microplastics from Laundry Wastewater Using Coagulation and Membrane Combination: A Laboratory-Scale Study

Researchers characterized microplastics in raw domestic laundry wastewater (9,000–11,000 particles/L, dominated by polyester fibers) and tested whether combining coagulation with ultrafiltration membrane filtration improved MP removal. The combined process significantly enhanced removal compared to coagulation alone, highlighting laundry wastewater as a major MP source amenable to treatment at scale.

2025 Membranes 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and retention of laundry microplastic fibres in slow sand filtration systems

Slow sand filtration — one of the most energy-efficient water treatment methods — was tested for its ability to remove laundry-derived microplastic fibers from washing machine effluent, with results showing 92–95% removal at the lowest flow rate tested. Fine sand filters slightly outperformed coarse sand, and the top layer of the filter did most of the work. Given that laundry wastewater is a major source of microplastic fiber pollution entering waterways, these results support slow sand filtration as a practical, low-cost add-on treatment to prevent fiber release.

2026 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Reuse of Water in Laundry Applications with Micro- and Ultrafiltration Ceramic Membrane

Microfiltration and ultrafiltration ceramic membranes were compared for the treatment of laundry wastewater containing microfibers, with both membranes achieving high microfiber removal while the ultrafiltration membrane provided better water quality for reuse. The study supports ceramic membrane filtration as an effective approach to capturing textile microplastics at the point of washing.

2022 Membranes 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Capturing microfibers – marketed technologies reduce microfiber emissions from washing machines

Researchers tested three commercially available microfiber capture devices installed in washing machines and found that they significantly reduced the number and mass of microfibers released in laundry effluent. The results support the potential of in-machine filtration as a practical intervention to reduce microfiber pollution from domestic laundering.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 197 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigating Microfiber Pollution in Laundry Wastewater: Insights from a Filtration System Case Study in Galle, Sri Lanka

A filtration system study in Galle, Sri Lanka investigated microfiber removal from hotel laundry wastewater, finding that synthetic microfibers from tourist accommodation laundry represent a significant and poorly managed pollution pathway to local aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Microplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

STEM Approach in Assessment of Microplastic Particles in Textile Wastewater

A multidisciplinary STEM approach was applied to characterize microplastic particles in both household laundry wastewater and industrial textile effluents. Microplastics were detected in significant quantities in both streams, with fiber shapes predominating. The study demonstrates that textile manufacturing and laundry are important but underregulated sources of microplastic pollution in wastewater.

2022 Tehnicki vjesnik - Technical Gazette 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments from washing synthetic textiles

Washing synthetic textiles releases microplastic fibers into wastewater, and this study reviewed the scale of the problem and explored strategies to reduce emissions at the washing machine, garment design, and wastewater treatment levels. Textile laundering is considered one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution reaching aquatic environments.

2021 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Literature Study on Microfibres from Washing Machines

This literature review covers what is known about microfibers shed from textiles during washing, including which fabrics shed most, how filters might help, and where these fibers end up in the environment. Washing machine filters are identified as a promising intervention to reduce this major source of microplastic pollution.

2019 Tenside Surfactants Detergents 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution from synthetic textiles:quantitative evaluation and mitigation strategies

This thesis quantified microplastic pollution from synthetic textiles, finding that washing processes account for about 35% of primary microplastic release into marine environments, and evaluated mitigation strategies including laundry filters and fabric treatments. Synthetic textile washing is one of the most significant and widespread sources of microfiber contamination globally.

2018
Article Tier 2

Inquinamento da microplastiche: implementazione di un metodo per la riduzione delle emissioni dalle lavatrici = Microplastics pollution: development of a method for the reduction of emissions from washing machines

This Italian thesis study developed methods to reduce microplastic fiber emissions from washing machines, testing various filter approaches. Since synthetic textile washing is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution entering wastewater, reducing emissions at the washing machine level could significantly decrease the amount of microplastics reaching waterways.

2021
Article Tier 2

Textile microfibers reaching aquatic environments: A new estimation approach

Researchers developed a new estimation approach for quantifying the mass flow of textile microfibers from household laundry that ultimately reaches aquatic environments, addressing the absence of accurate models for assessing microfiber contributions to microplastic pollution. The method provides a more systematic framework for estimating the environmental load from domestic washing.

2020 Environmental Pollution 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantity and fate of synthetic microfiber emissions from apparel washing in California and strategies for their reduction

Researchers quantified synthetic microfiber emissions from apparel washing across California, finding laundry to be a major microplastic source, and evaluated strategies including appliance filters and fabric standards to reduce microfiber releases to wastewater systems.

2022 Environmental Pollution 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibres from Textile Industry Effluents

Researchers reviewed the fate of microfibres released from textile industry effluents, finding that conventional wastewater treatment is insufficient to fully remove fibres, which then enter receiving waterways and contribute to environmental microplastic loads.

2024
Article Tier 2

The impact of a large textile laundry facility on the overall influx of microplastics and their removal in two wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands

Researchers measured microplastic contributions from a large industrial textile laundry facility and found it accounted for 13% of the total microplastic load entering a nearby wastewater treatment plant. Encouragingly, the treatment plants removed over 99.8% of microplastics larger than 50 micrometers, suggesting that targeting major point-source emitters like laundries could be an efficient strategy for reducing plastic pollution.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of microplastic release caused by textile washing processes of synthetic fabrics

This study evaluated microplastic fiber release caused by washing synthetic fabrics, finding that washing processes generate substantial quantities of microfibers and that fabric construction affects release rates, with implications for filtering strategies.

2017 Environmental Pollution 686 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and morphological characterization of microfibers emitted from textile washing

Textile microfibers released during washing machine cycles were quantified and characterized, with the study finding that fiber type, fabric construction, and wash conditions all influenced emission quantities. The results confirm textile washing as a significant and ongoing source of microplastic fiber pollution in wastewater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations