Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Pollution characteristics and fate of microfibers in the wastewater from textile dyeing wastewater treatment plant

Researchers found that a textile industry wastewater treatment plant achieved 95.1% removal of microfibers, reducing concentrations from 334.1 items/litre in influent to 16.3 items/litre in final effluent, yet still released 4.89 x 10^8 microfibers into receiving waters daily due to the enormous treatment volume.

2018 Water Science & Technology 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Wastewater treatment plant effluent and microfiber pollution: focus on industry-specific wastewater

Researchers examined microfiber pollution from wastewater treatment plant effluent, finding that industry-specific wastewater from textile operations released significantly higher concentrations of synthetic microfibers compared to municipal sources.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibres Release from Textile Industry Wastewater Effluents Are Underestimated: Mitigation Actions That Need to Be Prioritised

This review highlights that the release of tiny fibers from textile manufacturing wastewater is likely far greater than current estimates suggest, making it a major underrecognized source of microplastic pollution. Researchers found that existing wastewater treatment processes capture many fibers but still release significant quantities into the environment. The study calls for prioritizing better filtration technologies and upstream interventions in the textile industry to reduce fiber shedding.

2023 Fibers 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and Analysis of Microfibers and Microplastics in Wastewater from a Textile Company

Researchers analyzed microfiber and microplastic levels in wastewater from a textile company, finding that the on-site treatment plant removed only 38–65% of microfibers, meaning up to 62% — including acrylic, polyester, and polyamide particles — can escape into receiving waterways.

2022 Microplastics 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Examining the Importance of Pretreatment to Capture and Analyze Microfibers from Textile Wastewater

Researchers examined the importance of pretreatment steps for capturing and analyzing microfibers released from the textile industry during wet processing steps such as dyeing, rinsing, softening, and finishing, identifying inorganic compounds alongside synthetic fibers as key wastewater contaminants.

2022 Marmara University Open Access System
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

Evaluating Microplastics Removal Efficiency of Textile Industry Conventional Wastewater Treatment Plant of Thailand

A Thai textile wastewater treatment plant was found to be releasing significant quantities of microplastics into adjacent waterways, with conventional treatment processes failing to remove the majority of plastic particles.

2024 Journal of Ecological Engineering 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of Microfibers Discharged into the Urban and Suburban Environment

Researchers tracked the discharge and environmental fate of microfibers in urban and suburban environments, finding that wastewater treatment effluent and stormwater drainage are primary pathways by which synthetic microfibers enter local waterways.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics from textile origin – emission and reduction measures

This paper reviews the emission of fibrous microplastics from synthetic textiles during washing and their pathway through wastewater treatment plants into aquatic environments. It also summarizes available reduction measures such as laundry filters and fiber-releasing fabric design modifications.

2021 Green Chemistry 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibras Têxteis Sintéticas E a Liberação De Microplásticos: Uma Revisão

This review synthesizes published research on the release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles during domestic laundering, examining the mechanisms, quantities, and environmental fate of fiber shedding into waterways and the resulting risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

2022 MIX Sustentável 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibre releases from industrial wastewater effluent: a textile wet-processing mill in China

Researchers sampled industrial wastewater from a textile wet-processing mill in China and found an average of 361.6 microplastic fibers per liter in the effluent, with 92% shorter than 1000 micrometers. The study suggests that industrial textile processing is a significant point source of microplastic fiber pollution that has been understudied relative to domestic laundering, and that targeting these effluents could meaningfully reduce global microfiber releases.

2021 Environmental Chemistry 66 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 emissions in textile wet processing: Progress, challenges, and mitigation strategies

This review examines how textile wet processing, including dyeing and finishing operations, contributes to microplastic emissions that are more substantial in volume and chemically diverse than those from domestic laundry. Researchers found that mechanical forces, water, and chemical treatments during industrial processing release significant quantities of synthetic microfibers into wastewater. The study explores mitigation strategies including bioengineered materials, improved textile design, surface coatings, and enhanced filtration technologies.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthetic Textiles and Microplastics

This review examines how synthetic textiles shed microfibers during washing and drying, covering the mechanisms of release, the environmental fate of microfibers in aquatic systems, and strategies for reducing microplastic pollution from the fashion and textile industry.

2024
Article Tier 2

Synthetic microfibers: Pollution toxicity and remediation

Researchers reviewed the sources, transport pathways, ecological impacts, and remediation approaches for synthetic microfiber pollution originating from domestic washing machines. The study highlights that urban laundry wastewater is a major contributor to microfiber pollution entering aquatic and terrestrial environments, with potential effects on the food chain and human health.

2020 Chemosphere 284 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

Microfiber from textile dyeing and printing wastewater of a typical industrial park in China: Occurrence, removal and release

Textile dyeing and printing wastewater in a Chinese industrial park contained up to 54,100 microfibers per liter, and even after treatment the effluent released 430 billion microfibers per day into receiving waterways. The study identifies textile wastewater as a far larger source of microfibers than municipal sewage treatment plants.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 156 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

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
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