Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Nanomaterials in Textiles

This review examines biodegradable nanomaterials derived from natural polymers such as cellulose, chitosan, and starch for textile applications, highlighting how nanotechnology enables the development of smart fabrics with improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, antimicrobial properties, and responsive behaviours as sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic textiles.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microbial Nanocellulose Biotextiles for a Circular Materials Economy

Researchers developed sustainable biotextiles by harnessing microbial biofabrication of nanocellulose, drawing on ancient textile techniques to engineer materials with rapid renewability, low toxicity, and full biodegradability for a circular economy. The approach demonstrates how microbial self-assembly of nanocellulose can meet key performance and environmental criteria for next-generation textiles.

2021 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial nanocellulose biotextiles for a circular materials economy

Researchers developed sustainable biotextiles from microbial nanocellulose combined with ancient textile techniques, creating rapidly renewable, low-toxicity, and biodegradable materials as circular economy alternatives to synthetic plastic-based fabrics.

2022 Environmental Science Advances 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Key examples of nanotechnology in microplastics, packaging and textiles

This review examined how nanotechnology intersects with microplastics, packaging, and textiles — covering surface functionalizations, functional coating systems, and nanomaterial safety issues — and presented a three-stage membrane filter cascade for analytical investigation of micro- and nanoplastic risk assessment.

2025 Next research.
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics Produced from Textile Finishes: A Review

This review examines how textile finishes and coatings contribute to micro- and nanoplastic pollution during washing and wear. Researchers found that polymeric-based finishes applied to textiles can release significant quantities of plastic particles, identifying the textile industry as an underexplored but important source of environmental microplastic contamination.

2024 Langmuir 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Employment of Waste from the Textile Industry for the Production of Nanocomposites Aiming at the Generation of Thermal Shrinkable Films and the Non-Formation of Microplastics

Researchers used recycled textile waste to create nanocomposite materials for making heat-shrinkable films, aiming to reduce microplastic generation compared to conventional plastic films. The approach repurposes discarded clothing into functional materials, addressing both textile waste and the microplastic pollution from degrading synthetic fabrics.

2023 Materials Sciences and Applications 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrics and Garments as Sensors: A Research Update

This review examines the latest research on smart fabrics and garments that incorporate sensors for monitoring physiological or environmental parameters, covering advances in fiber-based electronics, wearable health monitors, and environmental sensing textiles. The work is peripherally relevant to microplastics research as the field explores how textile technology could be redesigned to reduce fiber shedding.

2019 Sensors 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibre and nanofibre: pollution and environmental impacts

This review examines microfibres and nanofibres — shed from clothing and textiles during use and washing — as a significant but poorly quantified category of environmental pollutants. Up to 4.28 million metric tonnes of microfibres enter the environment each year, with synthetic garment laundering responsible for about 35% of that total, yet natural fibre shedding is largely ignored in sustainability assessments. The authors argue that both synthetic and natural microfibres need to be included in environmental impact frameworks, especially as fast fashion drives ever-increasing textile production.

2025 Procedia CIRP 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microencapsulation for Functional Textile Coatings with Emphasis on Biodegradability—A Systematic Review

This systematic review found that microencapsulation techniques for functional textile coatings are well-established for conventional shell materials, but biodegradable alternatives remain limited and often sacrifice durability. The review identified that most microcapsule shell materials are synthetic polymers that can contribute to microplastic pollution when they degrade from textile surfaces during washing. Developing truly biodegradable microcapsule formulations is essential for reducing the microplastic fiber shedding that makes textiles one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution.

2021 Coatings 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Cotton Wastes Functionalized Biomaterials from Micro to Nano: A Cleaner Approach for a Sustainable Environmental Application

This review explores the conversion of cotton textile waste into functional biomaterials at micro and nano scales, highlighting their environmental applications including water treatment, dye removal, and as sustainable alternatives to synthetic microplastic-containing additives.

2021 Polymers 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Chemicals in Textiles and the Role of Microplastic Fibres as a Source and Vector for Chemicals to the Environment

This review examines how the chemical-intensive textile industry releases toxic substances throughout the product lifecycle, and critically evaluates the contested role of microplastic fibers as vectors for transporting chemical contaminants to biota and the broader environment.

2022 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfiber Emissions from Functionalized Textiles: Potential Threat for Human Health and Environmental Risks

This review examines how textiles release tiny plastic fibers during washing and wearing, making them a major source of microplastic pollution. These microfibers, often treated with chemicals like flame retardants and antimicrobials, are too small for most wastewater filters to catch. They end up in waterways, soil, and air, where they can be inhaled or ingested by humans, potentially carrying harmful chemicals into the body.

2023 Toxics 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotextiles — materials suitable for respiratory tract protection but a source of nano- and microplastic particles in the environment

This study found that nanotextile-based respiratory protective equipment releases nano- and microplastic particles during manufacture and use, raising concerns about occupational exposure and environmental contamination from protective gear intended to safeguard health.

2022 Acta Chimica Slovaca 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Superhydrophilic self-cleaning fabric with enhanced antibacterial and UV protection properties

Researchers developed a multi-functional fabric coating using titanium dioxide, platinum, and silica nanoparticles that can break down stains, kill bacteria, and block UV radiation using visible light. The coating achieved significantly better stain removal than standard titanium dioxide alone, demonstrating a promising approach for self-cleaning textiles that could reduce washing frequency and associated microplastic fiber shedding.

2024 Cellulose 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Textile Materials: Challenges in Fiber–Dye Chemistry and Implication of Microbial Biodegradation

This review examines how the textile industry contributes to environmental pollution through both chemical dye waste and microplastic fiber release. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon shed non-biodegradable microfibers during manufacturing and washing, while the dyeing process generates contaminated wastewater. The paper highlights microbial biodegradation as a promising and cost-effective approach to breaking down both textile waste and the microplastics it produces.

2025 Polymers 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Smart E-Textiles: Overview of Components and Outlook

This review provides a comprehensive overview of smart electronic textiles (e-textiles), examining their key components including conductive fibers, sensors, and energy harvesting systems. The study highlights the gap between academic research and commercial viability, and discusses environmental concerns related to synthetic textile fibers and their potential to shed microplastic particles.

2022 Sensors 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioengineered Smart Textiles: An Analysis of Self-Healing and Adaptive Performance in Sustainable Fabric Technologies

This study compares bioengineered smart textiles, which integrate living biological materials for self-healing and adaptability, with traditional synthetic smart textiles. Researchers found that bacterial and polymer-based self-repair systems achieved up to 90% restoration efficiency, while biodegradable mycelium-based fibers offer a viable alternative that reduces textile waste and microplastic pollution. The study identifies challenges in scaling these technologies but highlights their potential for more sustainable fabric production.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sunlight-Driven Photocatalytic Active Fabrics through Immobilization of Functionalized Doped Titania Nanoparticles

Researchers developed sunlight-driven self-cleaning fabrics by immobilizing zinc-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles onto textiles, reducing the need for chemical detergents and limiting the release of microfibers and harmful effluents during washing.

2023 Polymers 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in Thermoregulating Textiles: Materials, Mechanisms, and Applications

This review covers advances in temperature-regulating textiles, including materials with phase-change properties, radiative cooling fabrics, and smart fibers that respond to body heat. While not focused on microplastics, the review is relevant because synthetic textiles are a major source of microplastic fiber shedding during production, wearing, and washing. Understanding textile technology developments helps identify which new materials might reduce or increase microplastic pollution from clothing.

2025 Textiles 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Advanced applications of sustainable and biological nano-polymers in agricultural production

This review examines how sustainable and biological nano-polymers can improve agricultural practices through controlled agrochemical release, soil enhancement, and gene editing, while addressing environmental concerns about nanomaterial accumulation.

2023 Frontiers in Plant Science 36 citations
Article Tier 2

3D Printing with Biomaterials—The New Sustainable Future of Textiles?

This review examines developments in 3D printing with bio-based renewable biomaterials as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics in additive manufacturing. The paper surveys direct and partial printing on textiles, highlights promising results from bio-based materials, and outlines challenges and future outlooks for sustainable 3D printing in the textile industry.

2023 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards the Sustainability of the Plastic Industry through Biopolymers: Properties and Potential Applications to the Textiles World

This review explored the potential of biopolymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics in the textile industry, covering applications in spinning, dyeing, and finishing processes to reduce microplastic pollution from synthetic textiles.

2022 Polymers 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Function of nanomaterials in the treatment of emerging pollutants in wastewater

Researchers reviewed the application of nanomaterials for treating emerging pollutants in wastewater, including microplastics, antibiotics, and endocrine disruptors. The study suggests that nanotechnology-based approaches offer promising advantages over conventional treatment methods in terms of efficiency and sustainability for addressing new types of water contaminants.

2024 IWA Publishing eBooks 3 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