Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Comment on “Characterization of Nanoplastics, Fibrils, and Microplastics Released during Washing and Abrasion of Polyester Textiles”

This correspondence comments on methodological concerns in a prior study characterising nanoplastics, fibrils, and microplastics released during washing and abrasion of polyester textiles, raising questions about the characterisation methods and interpretation of results related to particle release quantification.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Differences in the release of microplastic fibers and fibrils from virgin and recycled polyester textiles

Researchers compared microplastic fiber and fibril release from virgin versus mechanically recycled polyester textiles during abrasion testing. They analyzed four pairs of commercially available textiles that were identical except for the type of polyester used. The findings provide important data for understanding whether the growing use of recycled polyester in clothing changes the amount or character of microplastic shedding during wear.

2024 Resources Conservation and Recycling 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Nanoplastics, Fibrils, and Microplastics Released during Washing and Abrasion of Polyester Textiles

Researchers analyzed the full range of plastic particles released during washing and physical abrasion of polyester textiles, including nanoplastics smaller than 1000 nanometers. They found that both washing and abrasion produced substantial numbers of nanoplastics and microfibers, with abrasion generating even finer fragments. The study highlights synthetic clothing as a significant and underappreciated source of very small plastic particles entering the environment.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 168 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastics release from polyester fabrics: The impact of different washing conditions

Researchers assessed microplastic fiber release from polyester and polyamide fabrics during simulated washing, finding that fabric construction, fiber type, and washing conditions all influenced the quantity of fibers released. The study provides data to help quantify the contribution of laundry to microplastic emissions in wastewater.

2020 Environmental Pollution 147 citations
Article Tier 2

Formation of microplastic fibers and fibrils during abrasion of a representative set of 12 polyester textiles

Abrasion testing of representative polyester fabrics generated microplastic fibers and fibrils, with fiber characteristics reflecting the mechanical and chemical properties of the parent textile. The findings suggest that real-life wear and abrasion during use, not just laundering, is a significant pathway for microfiber release from synthetic textiles.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 56 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

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

Formation of Fiber Fragments during Abrasion of Polyester Textiles

Researchers investigated how physical abrasion of polyester textiles produces microplastic fibers and found that the process generates both standard-diameter fibers and much finer fibrils, some as thin as 2.4 micrometers. The number of fibrils produced during abrasion exceeded the number of regular microplastic fibers, and abrasion released 5 to 30 times more fiber fragments than washing. The study suggests that everyday wear of synthetic clothing may be a more significant source of microplastic pollution than previously recognized.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 104 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

A novel method for the isolation, characterisation, and quantification of nanoplastic fibres released from synthetic textiles during laundering

Researchers developed a novel method for isolating, characterising, and quantifying nanoplastic fibres (NPFs) released during laundering of synthetic textiles — including acrylic, nylon, and polyester — enabling fibre size differentiation from the micro to the nano scale. The method addresses a significant gap in textile pollution research by providing a tool to study the understudied nanoplastic fraction of laundry-derived fibre emissions.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microfibers released from chemically modified polyester fabrics — A step towards mitigation

This study characterized microfibers released from chemically modified polyester fabrics during abrasion, finding that surface treatments altered fiber release rates and morphology. The results inform strategies to reduce microfiber pollution from synthetic textiles at the manufacturing and use stages.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
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

Exploring Microplastic and Natural Fiber Emissions from Fabrics and Textiles

This review examines microplastic and natural fiber emissions released from fabrics and textiles during use and washing, identifying textiles as a major but underappreciated source of microplastic pollution in the environment. The authors assess emission factors and the downstream environmental and health implications of synthetic fiber shedding.

2024
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastics Released Based on Polyester Fabric Construction during Washing and Drying

Researchers characterized microplastic fiber release from polyester fabrics during washing and drying, finding that fabric construction type significantly influences fiber shedding rates, with looser fabric structures releasing substantially more microplastic fibers per wash cycle.

2021 Polymers 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of shedding propensity of polyesterfabrics in the washing process

Researchers quantified microplastic shedding from three polyester fabric types — woven, knitted, and double-faced plush — under standardized washing conditions at 60°C using gravimetric analysis and physicochemical characterization of wastewater over 5- and 10-cycle wash experiments. Results showed fabric structure influences shedding propensity, and that the majority of fragments are released during the first washing cycles.

2024 The holistic approach to environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Decoding microplastic shedding from cotton/polyester blends: An analysis through fiber identification

Researchers developed a chemical separation method to accurately quantify polyester shedding from cotton/polyester blend fabrics, distinguishing polyester from natural fiber microplastics. Testing various fabric structures showed that polyester staple fibers in blends shed substantially during use, providing more realistic microplastic estimates for everyday clothing and bedding.

2025 Environmental Pollution
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

Evaluation of microplastic release caused by textile washing processes of synthetic fabrics

This study evaluated microplastic fiber release caused by washing synthetic fabrics, finding that washing processes generate substantial quantities of microfibers and that fabric construction affects release rates, with implications for filtering strategies.

2017 Environmental Pollution 686 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyester Textiles as a Source of Microplastics from Households: A Mechanistic Study to Understand Microfiber Release During Washing

Researchers conducted a mechanistic study of microplastic fiber shedding from polyester textiles in household washing machines, identifying wash temperature, spin speed, and detergent type as key variables affecting fiber release rates.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 744 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

Reply on RC1

This author reply responds to reviewer comments on a manuscript about microplastic research, addressing methodological concerns and clarifying findings related to particle characterization and exposure assessment. The exchange contributes to the peer review discourse on emerging standards in microplastic science.

2024
Article Tier 2

Quantifying shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles; a source of microplastics released into the environment

Researchers quantified the shedding of synthetic fibers from textiles during simulated washing, finding that fabric type, age, and wash conditions significantly affected fiber release, and establishing a quantitative basis for estimating textile-derived microplastic inputs.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 590 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Washing Process on the Release of Microplastics from Polyester Fabrics

Researchers conducted an analytical evaluation of microplastic and fiber release from tri-color pile polyester fabrics during washing with detergent, employing multiple characterization methods on the fabric, wastewater, and filter cake before and after cryogenization to assess defragmentation and fiber shedding.

2025 Separations