Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Treatment of greywater and presence of microplastics in on-site systems

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence in on-site wastewater treatment systems used for greywater, finding that these decentralized systems do not fully remove microplastics before discharge. The study highlights a poorly studied pathway for microplastics entering the environment.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterisation and Pollutant Load of Greywater Containing Personal Care Cosmetic Products (pccps) for Body Care

Researchers characterized greywater from bathing activities containing personal care products, measuring concentrations of residual ingredients that enter household wastewater. Many personal care products contain plastic microbeads and synthetic polymer ingredients that contribute to microplastic loads in domestic wastewater.

2023 INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
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

Greywater Reuse: Contaminant Profile, Health Implications, and Sustainable Solutions

This review examines the safety of reusing household greywater (from laundry, bathing, and dishes) and finds it contains a wide range of contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens. The authors highlight that microplastics from synthetic clothing fibers are especially common in laundry greywater. Reusing this water for irrigation or other purposes without proper treatment could introduce microplastics and other harmful substances into soil and food crops.

2025 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and Leakages of Microplastics in Cruise Ship Wastewater

Researchers investigated microplastic sources and leakages from cruise ship wastewater systems, finding that onboard laundry, food waste processing, and sewage treatment all contribute microplastics to discharge, with poorly filtered grey water representing a significant and underregulated pathway to the ocean.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Microplastic Abundance and Discharge from Greywater of Ships

Researchers quantified microplastics in ship greywater from showers, washbasins, laundry, and dishwashers and found that laundry sources produced the highest microplastic concentrations. Since greywater can be discharged to the sea without treatment in most areas, ships contribute substantially to marine microplastic pollution. The study supports the case for regulating greywater discharge from vessels.

2023
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in greywater from a research vessel

Microplastics were found in greywater from a research vessel across multiple water usage types, with laundry water showing the highest microplastic concentrations, identifying ships as an underappreciated sea-based source of microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Pollution 25 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

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

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

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in domestic, industrial, agricultural and aquacultural wastewater sources: A case study in Changzhou, China

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrence across diverse wastewater sources in Changzhou, China, including domestic, industrial, agricultural, and aquaculture facilities. The study found microplastics present in all types of wastewater, with varying compositions and abundances, highlighting the multiple pathways through which microplastics enter the environment from human activities.

2020 Water Research 207 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

Occurrence of microplastics in three types of household cleaning products and their estimated emissions into the aquatic environment

Researchers detected microplastics in three types of household cleaning products (laundry detergents, toilet bowl cleaners, and dishwashing detergents) and estimated that global use of these products represents a significant and largely overlooked pathway for primary microplastic emissions into aquatic environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 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

Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in in a Ship’s Greywater According to Usage Patterns

This study sampled greywater from different ship compartments — galleys, laundries, showers, and washbasins — and found that microplastics were present in all compartments, with laundry being the largest source. The results show that ships discharge significant quantities of microplastics through greywater, which can be legally released directly to the sea in most ocean zones. The findings highlight ships as an important but underregulated source of marine microplastic pollution.

2023
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

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

Estimation of Microplastics Emitted by Bucharest Households in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Researchers estimated the number of microplastics released by Bucharest households into the municipal wastewater treatment system under three scenarios, finding that washing machines processing synthetic clothing are the dominant source and that face and hand creams generate the highest microplastic load from cosmetics, with effluent concentrations estimated at 48 to 4,251 MP per liter.

2024 Macromolecular Symposia 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater: State of the knowledge on sources, fate and solutions

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastics in wastewater — their sources, fate through treatment processes, and discharge into the environment — and identifies research priorities and potential solutions. The paper serves as a key reference for understanding how wastewater systems contribute to the global distribution of microplastic pollution.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 381 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of household dishwashing to microplastic pollution

This study quantified microplastics released during household dishwashing and found that dishwashers emit measurable quantities of synthetic particles, predominantly from plastic dishes and containers, identifying household dishwashing as a previously overlooked source of microplastic emissions.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 15 citations