Papers

20 results
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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

Microfibres from Textile Industry Effluents

Researchers reviewed the fate of microfibres released from textile industry effluents, finding that conventional wastewater treatment is insufficient to fully remove fibres, which then enter receiving waterways and contribute to environmental microplastic loads.

2024
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

Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastics in a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Researchers sampled the inflow, outflow, and sludge of a Chinese wastewater treatment plant, finding up to 44 microplastic particles per liter in incoming water — mostly polyester fibers. The plant removed about 96% of microplastics, but the remaining fraction was still discharged into receiving waterways.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 24 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

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

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

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

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

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

Separation and Identification of Microfibers in the Wastewater of Textile Finishing Process

Researchers collected wastewater samples from textile finishing machinery in February and March 2022, pretreated them with hydrogen peroxide, and used light microscopy, micro-FTIR, and EDX/SEM to identify and characterize microfibers present. They found acrylic and cotton microfibers at concentrations of 0.058 g/L and 0.251 g/L across the two sampling periods, highlighting textile finishing processes as a significant source of microplastic fiber discharge.

2024 Journal of Polytechnic 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
Article Tier 2

A Survey of Microplastic Pollution from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Within the Lake Champlain Basin

A survey of wastewater treatment plant effluent found that microplastics — primarily fibers from synthetic clothing — pass through treatment processes and are discharged to waterways. The study highlights treated wastewater as a major pathway for microfiber microplastics to enter rivers and coastal waters.

2019 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Removal Efficiency of Microplastics at Different Process Stages of a Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Textile Industry in Southern China

Researchers investigated microplastic removal efficiency at different stages of a textile industry wastewater treatment plant in southern China. Using laser infrared and mass spectrometry techniques, they found that the plant effectively reduced microplastic counts, though some particles still passed through to the effluent. The study highlights that textile manufacturing is a significant source of microplastic pollution and that treatment processes need continued improvement.

2025 Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection and Characterisation Techniques for Microfiber in Wastewater

This review covers current detection and characterization techniques for microfibers, the most common type of microplastic found in the environment. Researchers discuss how microfibers are released in large quantities during home laundry and enter waterways through wastewater treatment plants. The study emphasizes that precise detection methods are essential for understanding and controlling microfiber pollution, given its harmful effects on both aquatic ecosystems and human health.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Disperse dyes, temperature and yarn parametre's effect on microfibre shedding of polyester spun yarn

Researchers quantified microfiber shedding from polyester yarn at six industrial dyeing factories and found that high-temperature dyeing of dark, coarser yarns released the most fibers, with conventional effluent treatment plants removing only 76% of microplastic fibers — leaving a substantial residual discharged to waterways.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfibers from synthetic textiles as a major source of microplastics in the environment: A review

This review examines how synthetic textile garments release thousands of microplastic fibers during each wash cycle, making laundry a major source of microplastic pollution. Even though wastewater treatment plants capture most fibers, billions still escape into waterways each day because the incoming volume is so enormous. These fibers end up in rivers, oceans, and soil, where they can be consumed by aquatic life and eventually reach humans through the food chain.

2021 Textile Research Journal 347 citations
Article Tier 2

Pollution by anthropogenic microfibers in North-West Mediterranean Sea and efficiency of microfiber removal by a wastewater treatment plant

Researchers systematically measured synthetic microfiber pollution across multiple environmental compartments in an urban area of northwest France, including air, washing machine effluent, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) inlet/outlet, and Mediterranean coastal and offshore waters. They found that clothing laundering was a major microfiber source, and while the WWTP removed a substantial proportion of fibers, significant quantities still entered coastal waters.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 71 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

Release of fibrous microplastics from functional polyester garments through household washing

Functional polyester garments released measurable quantities of fibrous microplastics during household washing, with fiber shedding rates influenced by garment type and washing conditions, while German wastewater treatment plants captured a significant but incomplete fraction.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 9 citations