Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Science in and with society: insights into synthetic microfibre emissions from textiles with citizen scientists

Researchers engaged citizen scientists in a large-scale study of synthetic microfibre emissions from household textile washing, collecting real-world data on how fabric properties and washing conditions influence microfibre release rates while also investigating individual willingness to adopt pollution-reducing laundry practices.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

A citizen science study in which households measured synthetic microfibers released during laundry washing found that participants reported increased environmental concern and behavioral intent to reduce microfiber emissions, demonstrating that participatory research on household microplastic sources can have positive psychological effects.

2025
Article Tier 2

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

Researchers conducted a pre-registered three-month citizen science study in the Netherlands where participants used microfiber-capturing laundry bags and completed pre/post surveys on environmental concern, perceived responsibility, and washing behavior. High baseline environmental concern was found but did not strongly predict behavior change, suggesting psychological interventions beyond awareness are needed to reduce laundry microfiber emissions.

2025
Article Tier 2

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

A three-month citizen science project in the Netherlands studied how participating in microfiber laundry bag monitoring influenced residents' environmental awareness and washing behaviors, finding that hands-on engagement with pollution measurement can shift consumer attitudes.

2025 Environmental Science Advances
Article Tier 2

REMEDIES Citizen Science Protocol for the Recovery and Quantification of Microplastics

This citizen science protocol equips everyday volunteers to collect and quantify microplastic fibers released from synthetic fabrics during home laundering. Standardizing community-based sampling methods is critical for scaling up environmental monitoring and building the large datasets needed to understand how washing clothes contributes to microplastic pollution.

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

REMEDIES Citizen Science Protocol for the Recovery and Quantification of Microplastics

This citizen science protocol equips everyday volunteers to collect and quantify microplastic fibers released from synthetic fabrics during home laundering. Standardizing community-based sampling methods is critical for scaling up environmental monitoring and building the large datasets needed to understand how washing clothes contributes to microplastic pollution.

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

Psychological outcomes from a citizen science study on microplastics from household clothes washing

Researchers reported on the psychological outcomes for participants in a citizen science project studying household microplastic sources, finding that engagement with microplastic research increased environmental awareness and motivated behavior change around plastic use.

2025
Article Tier 2

Embedding citizens within airborne microplastic and microfibre research

A citizen science study investigated airborne microplastics and microfibres in home environments, which are likely major sources of indoor plastic emissions given the volume of plastics and textiles stored and used there. Involving residents in sampling improved spatial coverage and community awareness of microplastic exposure in everyday settings.

2023 Cambridge Prisms Plastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles; a source of microplastics released into the environment

Researchers quantified the shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles during simulated washing, finding that fabric type, age, and wash conditions significantly affected fiber release, and establishing a quantitative basis for estimating textile-derived microplastic inputs.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 590 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

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

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

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

Washing machine filters to mitigate microplastics release: Citizen science study to estimate microfibers capture potential and assess their social acceptability

Researchers enrolled citizen volunteers to test whether filters installed in home washing machines could capture microfibers released during laundry, finding that filters trapped an average of about 4.6 mg of synthetic microfibers per liter of wash water — but over two-thirds of participants found installation difficult. The study validates filters as a practical microplastic source-control strategy while flagging that ease of installation must improve for widespread adoption.

2024 Environmental Challenges 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling microplastic fibre emissions from synthetic textiles: An Australian case

Researchers modeled microplastic fiber emissions from synthetic textiles across Australia, estimating emission quantities, identifying geographic hotspots, and tracing fibres to their environmental receiving compartments. The model found that domestic laundry is the dominant emission source, with most fibres ultimately reaching wastewater treatment systems or water bodies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microfibre release from textiles during domestic laundering

Researchers developed a reliable method for quantifying microfibre release from domestic laundering, finding that fabric characteristics had a greater influence on release than wash settings, and estimated UK annual domestic microfibre emissions between 7,300 and 36,100 tonnes depending on assumptions.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 39 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

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

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

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