Papers

61,005 results
|
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

Quantification and identification of microfibers released from textiles during simulated accelerated washing

Researchers tested multiple methods for measuring microfibers released from fabrics during washing and found significant inconsistencies between approaches — particularly with automated software identification tools — highlighting the urgent need for standardized testing methods so that results from different studies can be meaningfully compared.

2025 Green Analytical Chemistry 2 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
Article Tier 2

Reliable quantification of microplastic release from the domestic laundry of textile fabrics

This study identified major sources of variation in methods used to quantify microplastic fiber release from textile laundry, recommending a standardized testing protocol to enable reliable comparisons across fabrics, machines, and washing conditions.

2021 Journal of the Textile Institute 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics' emissions: Microfibers’ detachment from textile garments

Researchers measured microfiber detachment rates from finished textile garments during normal laundering and found that garments shed between 175 and 560 microfibers per gram of fabric, or 30,000 to 465,000 microfibers per square meter. They found a strong correlation between microfiber release and the textile's surface density. The study also provides standardized reporting units to improve comparability across research, an important step given the current lack of methodological consensus in textile microfiber studies.

2019 Environmental Pollution 261 citations
Article Tier 2

Textiles and textile products. Microplastics from textile sources

This study examines British and international standards related to microplastics from textile sources, covering characterization methods, testing protocols, and definitions relevant to quantifying textile-derived microplastic fiber release into the environment. The work relates to BSI Knowledge standards frameworks addressing the contribution of textile washing and wear to environmental microplastic contamination.

2023 3 citations
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

A comprehensive method for the sampling, purification, extraction, and quantification of microplastic fibre release in textile production

Researchers developed a comprehensive standardized method for sampling, purifying, extracting, and quantifying microplastic fiber release across various matrices involved in textile production processes. The protocol addresses gaps in existing methodology focused primarily on laundering and wastewater treatment, providing a reproducible framework to assess microplastic emissions throughout the full textile manufacturing chain.

2025 AATCC Journal of Research
Article Tier 2

Low cost, high throughput quantification of microplastics released from textile wash tests: Introducing the fibre fragmentation scale

Researchers developed three standardized textile wash test methods for quantifying microplastic fiber shedding during laundering, introducing a 'fibre fragmentation scale' to rank textile designs by shedding propensity and enable systematic comparison across materials and processing variables.

2025
Article Tier 2

A novel approach for rapid quantification and length distribution of microfibers released during domestic laundry.

Researchers developed a novel rapid method for directly quantifying microfibers released during domestic laundry and deriving their length distribution density function, addressing the lack of standardized quantification approaches for this significant source of microfiber pollution.

2025 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Evaluating microfiber emissions and point-of-use filtration efficiency in household washing and drying cycles.

Researchers evaluated microfiber generation and discharge from household washing and drying cycles using standardized protocols with polyester fleece garments, testing the effectiveness of three commercial point-of-use filtration systems at reducing microfiber emissions from wash wastewater.

2025 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

From production to pollution: a review of microfiber release mechanisms and mitigation strategies in the textile industry

This review examines the origins, pathways, and environmental impacts of microfiber pollution from the textile industry. Researchers found that microfibers are released during both textile manufacturing and garment use, and that solutions include biodegradable fiber development, washing machine filtration systems, and advanced wastewater treatment. The study emphasizes that collaboration among industry, governments, research institutions, and consumers is critical to reducing microfiber release.

2025 Journal of the Textile Institute 1 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

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
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Analysis of Standard Microplastics

Researchers prepared and characterized standard microplastic samples from synthetic textiles, finding that microfilaments shed by fabrics are the dominant form and proposing methods for creating consistent reference materials for environmental monitoring studies.

2022 Environmental sciences 4 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

A Review of Sustainability Standards and Ecolabeling in the Textile Industry

This review examines sustainability standards and eco-labels in the textile industry, which is a major source of microplastic pollution through synthetic fiber shedding during manufacturing and washing. The authors found that while many eco-labels exist, they vary widely in rigor and often do not specifically address microplastic release. Stronger and more consistent standards are needed to reduce the textile industry's contribution to microplastic contamination in waterways and the environment.

2023 Sustainability 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Sensitive quantification and morphological analysis of microfibers in laundry wastewater: Standardization and validation of a fluorescence-based method

Synthetic microfibers shed during laundry make up a large share of microplastics found in aquatic environments, but accurately counting them in wastewater has been technically inconsistent between labs. This study standardized and validated a fluorescence-based staining method for quantifying microfibers in laundry effluent, making it faster and more accessible than conventional spectroscopic approaches. A validated standard method is critical for generating comparable data across studies and informing regulations on microfiber pollution from washing machines.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Review on alternatives for the reduction of textile microfibers emission to water

This review evaluated strategies to reduce textile microfiber emissions to water, comparing washing machine filters, laundry bags, fabric finishing treatments, and effluent filtration technologies, finding that no single solution is sufficient and that a combined approach across the textile lifecycle is needed.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 30 citations
Review Tier 2

Large Scale Microplastic Fibre Analysis in Wastewater: A Comprehensive Review and Recommendations

This review critically analyzes current and emerging methods for identifying and quantifying microplastic fibers in wastewater, covering sample collection, pretreatment, and analytical techniques. The authors note that there are currently no universally accepted standards for collecting and analyzing microplastic fibers specifically, and that most existing methods were designed for microplastics in general. The study provides recommendations for developing standardized large-scale fiber analysis protocols for wastewater monitoring.

2025 Current Pollution Reports 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A Standard Terminology for the Description of Fibrous Microplastics from Textiles

This paper tackles the confusing terminology around tiny plastic fibers shed from textiles, which account for roughly 35% of microplastics released into the environment. The authors propose a standardized definition for fiber-shaped microplastics to help researchers compare results across studies and better track this major source of plastic pollution.

2024 Advances in science and technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of the current status of microfiber pollution research in textiles

This review synthesizes research on microfiber shedding from textiles, examining how fiber properties (length, diameter, twist, surface treatment) influence how much a fabric sheds during laundering. Microfibers from textile washing are one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution in wastewater and aquatic environments globally.

2020 International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology 43 citations
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

Preparation and analysis of standards containing microfilaments/microplastic with fibre shape

Researchers developed and validated reference standards containing synthetic textile microfilaments for use in laboratory analysis of microplastics. Standardized reference materials are essential for ensuring that analytical methods for detecting textile-derived microplastics are accurate and comparable across different labs.

2020 Chemosphere 25 citations