Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants of Wuhan, Central China: Abundance, removal, and potential source in household wastewater

Two wastewater treatment plants in Wuhan, China, removed 62-66% of incoming microplastics, and household sources including clothing laundering, facial cleansers, and toothpaste were identified as dominant contributors. Washing one kilogram of clothing released over 150,000 fibers, making laundry the largest single household microplastic source.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 165 citations
Article Tier 2

Estimation of Laundry-derived Microfiber Discharges into Wastewater: A Case Study in Hanoi City

Researchers analyzed 30 household laundry wastewater samples from Hanoi, Vietnam, finding extremely high microplastic concentrations averaging 96,296 particles per cubic meter, with fibers making up 99.6% of all particles and 12 polymer types identified.

2025 VNU Journal of Science Earth and Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Wastewater by Washing Polyester Fabrics

Researchers investigated microplastic fiber release from polyester fabrics during washing, characterizing the quantity and types of microplastics generated and their potential pathway into wastewater systems as a significant source of environmental microplastic pollution.

2022 Materials 139 citations
Article Tier 2

The significant impacts of laundry wastewater on microplastics: a case study in a residential area

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in laundry wastewater from a residential area and tracked their contribution to urban drainage, finding that laundry effluent is a significant and underestimated source of microfibers entering municipal sewer systems and subsequently rivers.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater: microfiber emissions from common household laundry

A household laundry study found that a 6 kg load of synthetic clothing released an average of 18 million microfibers into wastewater, with 93% of fibers under 500 micrometers in length. This is the first characterization of microfiber emissions under real household conditions, confirming laundry as a major domestic source of small microplastic pollution.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Release of primary microplastics from consumer products to wastewater in the Netherlands

Researchers estimated the release of primary microplastics from consumer products — including cosmetics, cleaning agents, and paint — into Dutch wastewater, finding sewage effluent concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 66 μg/L depending on scenario assumptions. All product categories contributed to microplastic loads reaching surface waters via sewage treatment plant effluent.

2015 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Residential houses — a major point source of microplastic pollution: insights on the various sources, their transport, transformation, and toxicity behaviour

This review highlights residential homes as a major but overlooked source of microplastic pollution, identifying personal care products, laundry, cooking, and household dust as key generators. These microplastics enter municipal wastewater and eventually reach rivers, lakes, and oceans. The authors emphasize that reducing microplastic pollution requires addressing household sources, not just industrial and wastewater treatment plant emissions.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Estimating Microplastics related to Laundry Wash and Personal Care Products released to Wastewater in Major Estonian Cities: a comparison of calculated and measured microplastics

Using substance flow analysis, Estonian researchers estimated that laundry washing and personal care products release between roughly 4 and 12 tonnes of microplastics per capita per year into the country's wastewater, with wastewater treatment plants retaining most but not all of these particles. The comparison of modeled and measured values helps validate monitoring frameworks and highlights laundry and personal care products as significant microplastic sources that need better management.

2023 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Personal Care and Cosmetic Products as a Potential Source of Environmental Contamination by Microplastics in a Densely Populated Asian City

Researchers surveyed personal care and cosmetic products sold in a densely populated Asian city for microbeads and other microplastic ingredients, documenting the extent of microbead-containing products still on the market and estimating their potential contribution to municipal wastewater microplastic loads.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 186 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and analysis of microplastics in municipal wastewater, Poland

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the influent of a large urban wastewater treatment plant in Poland and found an average of about 4 particles per liter. Textile fibers, primarily from clothing, were the most common form of microplastic detected, with polyethylene terephthalate and rubber among the dominant polymer types. The study underscores that laundry and everyday product use are significant sources of microplastic entering the water system.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20 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

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

Microplásticos em água cinza

This study examined microplastic contamination in greywater (household wastewater from washing), finding that laundry and personal care product use introduce significant quantities of microplastics into domestic wastewater streams. The research highlights greywater as an underexamined pathway of microplastic release into water systems.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Approaches for Sampling and Sample Preparation for Microplastic Analysis in Laundry Effluents

Researchers reviewed sampling and sample preparation methods for analyzing microplastics in laundry effluents. The study highlights the lack of standardized methods for quantifying textile fiber microplastics released during washing and emphasizes the need for consistent analytical approaches to better understand this significant source of microplastic pollution.

2024 Sustainability 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation of Microplastics from the Effluent of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant and from its Natural Receptor

Researchers characterized microplastics in effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and in the receiving Jiu River in Romania, both upstream and downstream of the discharge point. The results show that even treated wastewater carries microplastics into surface waters, contributing to river contamination.

2022 Materiale Plastice 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Wastewater treatment plant effluents as source of cosmetic polyethylene microbeads to freshwater

Using Ljubljana, Slovenia as a case study, researchers estimated how many polyethylene microbeads from cosmetics pass through a wastewater treatment plant and enter surface waters. The study found that even plants with high removal efficiency still release substantial numbers of microbeads, supporting the case for banning them from personal care products.

2017 Chemosphere 306 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

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

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

Microplastic emissions from household washing machines: preliminary findings from Greater Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

This study measured microplastic emissions from household washing machines in the Kuala Lumpur area, finding between 6 and 30 microplastic particles released per liter of laundry water. Household washing machines in Malaysia contribute to microplastic pollution in wastewater, consistent with findings from other parts of the world.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification, Quantification, and Characterization of Microplastics in Skincare and Treatment Creams: A Potential Health Concern Related to the Exposure Pathway

Researchers analyzed 21 skincare and treatment cream products for microplastic contamination and found 109 microplastic particles of various sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions, including polyethylene and polyester. They surveyed over 354 consumers in Romania about cosmetic usage habits to estimate annual exposure levels. The study assessed potential health risks from dermal contact with microplastics in cosmetic products, raising concerns about this often-overlooked exposure pathway.

2026 Journal of Xenobiotics
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

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
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