Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Microfibers: a preliminary discussion on their definition and sources

This paper proposes clearer definitions for "microfibers" as a distinct category of microplastics and reviews their major environmental sources, noting that they are found nearly everywhere and released from both synthetic and natural textiles. Clearer terminology is important for comparability across research studies and for developing targeted policy responses to fiber pollution.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 141 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of research on migration, distribution, biological effects, and analytical methods of microfibers in the environment

This review examined the environmental distribution, transport pathways, biological effects, and analytical detection methods for microfibers as the most abundant microplastic form in the environment. Microfibers were found in marine, freshwater, atmospheric, and soil environments globally, and laundry effluent and textile industry wastewater were identified as the dominant emission sources.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microfiber Pollutants in Freshwater Ecosystems

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Introduction to Microfiber Pollution

This introductory chapter provides an overview of microfiber pollution, defining microfibers as secondary microplastics with diameters less than 10 micrometers and lengths of 5–20 mm, and documenting their ubiquitous presence in marine and freshwater environments. The chapter outlines the environmental persistence, ingestion by marine organisms, food chain accumulation potential, and emerging regulatory concern surrounding synthetic microfibers as a class of environmental contaminant.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microfibers in oceanic surface waters: A global characterization

A global analysis of 916 seawater samples from six ocean basins characterized microfibers as ubiquitous contaminants, finding that many are not synthetic textiles but natural or semi-synthetic materials, questioning the assumption that all environmental fibers are microplastic.

2020 Science Advances 481 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical review of environmental impacts of microfibers in different environmental matrices

This review summarizes the environmental impacts of microfibers, both synthetic and natural, across marine, freshwater, and soil ecosystems. The study highlights that natural textile microfibers are actually the predominant type found in ecosystems, and notes a significant gap in research on how microfibers affect primary producers like phytoplankton at the base of food chains.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 70 citations
Article Tier 2

An Introduction to Microfiber Pollution

Microfibers are a subcategory of microplastics and one of the most abundant plastic shapes found in environmental samples worldwide. This introductory chapter reviews the definitions, types, and environmental impacts of microfibers, highlighting that their small size and fibrous form make them particularly persistent and widely distributed. Addressing microfiber pollution urgently is important given how readily they are ingested by wildlife and potentially humans through air, water, and food.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in the Environment

This review examines the ubiquitous presence of microplastics as emerging environmental pollutants across all major environmental compartments, synthesizing data on their sources, fates, and concentrations over time and space to characterize the scale of global contamination.

2025
Article Tier 2

Research progress on occurrence characteristics and source analysis of microfibers in the marine environment

This review systematically examined the sources of synthetic microfiber pollution in marine environments, covering laundry, fishing gear, industrial textile discharge, and other origins. The authors note that the key sources of marine microfibers remain contested and call for improved source attribution methods.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibers: Environmental Problems and Textile Solutions

This review argued that microfibers (long thin plastic particles) are the most numerically abundant type of microplastic in aquatic environments when sampling methods account for their shape, yet they receive less attention than other forms. The authors identified textile production and laundering as primary sources and outlined textile-based solutions including fiber-shedding-resistant fabrics and wastewater filtration.

2022 Microplastics 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Sources, Distribution and Ecological Implications

This review examines the sources, environmental distribution, and ecological implications of microplastics, which are now found across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments worldwide. The study discusses how these persistent plastic fragments can enter food webs and highlights priorities for future monitoring, risk assessment, and pollution mitigation efforts.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

A planet too rich in fibre

Researchers highlighted that synthetic microfibres shed from clothing have become pervasive across environmental compartments — including drinking water and food — raising concerns about chronic human and ecosystem exposure to a poorly understood class of microplastic contaminant.

2018 EMBO Reports 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the ecological impact of textile microfibers: Current knowledge and research challenges

This review examines the ecological impact of textile microfibers, a major subset of microplastic pollution released during laundry and fabric wear. Researchers found significant knowledge gaps regarding how these fibers affect organisms and ecosystems, particularly when interacting with other environmental contaminants. The study calls for more standardized research methods and greater attention to this pervasive but understudied form of microplastic pollution.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic pollution from textiles: A literature review

This review examines the current state of knowledge on microplastic pollution, focusing specifically on synthetic microfibre shedding from textiles during washing and the significance of this source for marine and freshwater contamination.

2018 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) 23 citations
Article Tier 2

The fiber microparticle pipeline in the marine water column – from source to mitigation strategies

This review examines the sources, environmental transport, and health implications of microfibers — including synthetic fibers from textiles and natural fibers — in the marine water column. With global fiber production exceeding 100 million metric tons annually, synthetic microfibers are one of the most abundant forms of microplastic in the ocean.

2021 Environmental Advances 8 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics as contaminants in freshwater environments: A multidisciplinary review

This multidisciplinary review covers microplastic sources, abundance, composition, transport, and biological effects in freshwater systems globally, arguing that freshwater environments are both major conduits and sinks for microplastic pollution.

2020 Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro Plastic Pollution in Freshwater Ecosystems: Sources, Fate and Effects

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.

2024 Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Frontiers
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution: Fate, Sources, Transport and Identification

This review summarizes the sources, fate, transport, and identification methods for microplastics in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting their global distribution across all ecosystems and the growing concern for their impacts on marine life, other organisms, and human health.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibre and nanofibre: pollution and environmental impacts

This review examines microfibres and nanofibres — shed from clothing and textiles during use and washing — as a significant but poorly quantified category of environmental pollutants. Up to 4.28 million metric tonnes of microfibres enter the environment each year, with synthetic garment laundering responsible for about 35% of that total, yet natural fibre shedding is largely ignored in sustainability assessments. The authors argue that both synthetic and natural microfibres need to be included in environmental impact frameworks, especially as fast fashion drives ever-increasing textile production.

2025 Procedia CIRP 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibrous microplastics in the environment: Sources, occurrence, impacts, and mitigation strategies

This review provides a comprehensive look at fibrous microplastics, which can make up over 90 percent of microplastics found in some environmental samples. Researchers traced these fibers primarily to synthetic textiles, with laundering being a major release pathway, and documented their presence in water, soil, air, and living organisms. The study emphasizes that fiber-shaped microplastics deserve special attention due to their prevalence and unique potential to cause harm.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and dispersive modes of micro-fibers in the environment

This review critically examines the sources and environmental pathways of microfibers, challenging the assumption that laundry is the dominant source. The authors present evidence that other pathways — including textile manufacturing, atmospheric deposition, and outdoor gear use — may contribute more than previously recognized.

2017 Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 269 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Physical and Chemical Effects of Textile Microfibers

This review examines both the physical and chemical effects of textile microfibers on organisms, discussing how these most prevalent microplastics expose biota to manufacturing chemicals and environmental contaminants across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

2022 Water 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Textile Industries in Microfiber Pollution

This review examines the role of textile industries in generating microfiber pollution, tracing microfiber release during fabric production, consumer use, laundering, and end-of-life disposal as synthetic textile demand grows with fast fashion. The review documents pathways by which textile microfibers enter freshwater and marine environments and accumulate in aquatic biota, linking industry growth trends to escalating environmental microfiber loads.

2024
Article Tier 2

Synthetic fibers as microplastics in the marine environment: A review from textile perspective with a focus on domestic washings

This review examined synthetic fibers as a source of microplastics in the marine environment, tracing the full textile lifecycle from manufacturing through use and disposal to understand where and how fibers enter aquatic systems.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 742 citations