Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

“The effect of the detergent on microfibre release during the washing process of polyester textiles”

This study examined how detergent type affects microfiber release from polyester fabrics during washing, finding that detergent surfactant concentration and formulation significantly influenced fiber shedding, with some products reducing fiber release while others increased it compared to water-only washing.

2021 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfiber release from real soiled consumer laundry and the impact of fabric care products and washing conditions

Researchers measured microfiber release from real soiled consumer laundry from UK households, finding a mean release of 114 ppm (mg microfiber per kg fabric) under typical washing conditions, and investigated how fabric care products, washing machine design, and cycle settings affect fiber shedding. The study found that certain fabric conditioners and appliance features can meaningfully reduce microfiber release during domestic washing.

2020 PLoS ONE 113 citations
Article Tier 2

The Influence of Textile Type, Textile Weight, and Detergent Dosage on Microfiber Emissions from Top-Loading Washing Machines

Researchers investigated how different textile types, fabric weights, and detergent amounts affect microfiber shedding from top-loading washing machines. The study found that all four tested fabric weave structures released both synthetic and natural microfibers during washing, with textile type and weight being significant factors, contributing to our understanding of how everyday laundry contributes to microplastic pollution.

2024 Toxics 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics release from polyester fabrics: The impact of different washing conditions

Researchers assessed microplastic fiber release from polyester and polyamide fabrics during simulated washing, finding that fabric construction, fiber type, and washing conditions all influenced the quantity of fibers released. The study provides data to help quantify the contribution of laundry to microplastic emissions in wastewater.

2020 Environmental Pollution 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions

Researchers measured synthetic microfiber release from domestic washing machines in real household conditions, finding that millions of fibers are shed per wash cycle, with fiber release influenced by fabric type and wash parameters.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1556 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of different microplastic fibres discharged from textiles in machine wash and tumble drying

Researchers quantified synthetic microplastic fibre emissions from five sequential machine washes and tumble dryings of synthetic fabrics, finding that fibre release decreased with successive washes and that two commercial in-machine fibre traps varied substantially in their collection efficiency, with implications for reducing domestic microplastic emissions.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Release from Domestic Washing

Researchers measured microfiber release from domestic washing of textile materials across five washing cycles, finding that the amount of microplastic fiber shed varied significantly with washing conditions and fiber type, contributing to aquatic microplastic pollution.

2021 European Journal of Science and Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyester Textiles as a Source of Microplastics from Households: A Mechanistic Study to Understand Microfiber Release During Washing

Researchers conducted a mechanistic study of microplastic fiber shedding from polyester textiles in household washing machines, identifying wash temperature, spin speed, and detergent type as key variables affecting fiber release rates.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 744 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures

Researchers measured microfiber release from real household washing machines across different wash programs and found that machine type, spin speed, and cycle duration all significantly affect how many synthetic fabric fibers — a major source of microplastic pollution — escape into wastewater. They identified optimal washing conditions (higher spin speed, longer cycle) that can meaningfully reduce microfiber emissions during everyday laundry.

2024 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Reducing microplastic fiber shedding from hand-washed polyester

Researchers investigated microplastic fiber shedding from hand-washed polyester fabric, addressing a gap since most prior studies focused on machine laundering despite the majority of global garment washing being done by hand. They tested coating-based mitigation strategies and found effective approaches for reducing fiber release during hand washing. The study demonstrates that hand-washing conditions and mitigation techniques deserve specific attention in efforts to reduce textile-derived microplastic pollution.

2025 Scientific Reports 1 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

Domestic laundry and microfiber pollution: Exploring fiber shedding from consumer apparel textiles

Researchers measured microfiber shedding from a range of consumer apparel textiles during simulated laundry cycles, finding that fiber release varied substantially by fabric type, construction, and wash conditions, with polyester fleece releasing the most microfibers per wash.

2021 PLoS ONE 144 citations
Article Tier 2

A Feasible and Efficient Monitoring Method of Synthetic Fibers Released during Textile Washing

Researchers developed and validated a feasible monitoring method for quantifying synthetic microfibers released from textiles during washing, addressing the need for standardized protocols to measure microfiber emissions. The method provided reproducible results for collecting and characterizing microfibers from wash effluent to support emission modeling.

2024 Microplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Washing Process on the Release of Microplastics from Polyester Fabrics

Researchers conducted an analytical evaluation of microplastic and fiber release from tri-color pile polyester fabrics during washing with detergent, employing multiple characterization methods on the fabric, wastewater, and filter cake before and after cryogenization to assess defragmentation and fiber shedding.

2025 Separations
Article Tier 2

A review on microplastic emission from textile materials and its reduction techniques

Researchers reviewed how synthetic textile fibers — tiny plastic threads released from clothes during washing, drying, and wearing — are a major source of microplastic pollution, entering waterways and food chains through seafood, salt, and drinking water. They identify fabric type, detergent, and washing conditions as key factors affecting fiber release, and propose textile finishing and regulatory strategies to reduce emissions.

2022 Polymer Degradation and Stability 291 citations
Article Tier 2

The contribution of washing processes of synthetic clothes to microplastic pollution

Real-scale wash trials of synthetic commercial garments measured microfiber release per wash, finding that release varied significantly with textile type, structure, and age, with some items releasing over 700,000 fibers per wash. The study quantifies the contribution of synthetic textile washing to microplastic pollution and identifies fiber characteristics that govern release rates.

2019 Scientific Reports 752 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

Characterization of microfibers emission from textile washing from a domestic environment

Researchers found that household laundry machines release millions of microfibers per wash cycle, with top-loading machines emitting slightly more than front-loaders, and synthetic fibers accounting for only about 19% of total emissions, with the majority of fibers under 5 micrometers in length.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Designing out microplastic pollution released from textiles and apparel during laundering

This study explored source-directed design and manufacturing interventions to reduce microplastic fiber release from synthetic textiles during washing, using standardized wash tests to quantify shedding from fabric surfaces and edges. Structural fabric design modifications were identified as effective strategies to reduce microplastic fiber shedding at the point of manufacture.

2024 Cambridge Prisms Plastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Shedding from Textiles—Developing Analytical Method for Measurement of Shed Material Representing Release during Domestic Washing

Researchers developed an analytical method to measure microplastic shedding from textiles during domestic washing, identifying key methodological variables that explain the large variation in shedding measurements across prior studies and proposing a standardized approach for more comparable results.

2018 Sustainability 109 citations