Papers

61,005 results
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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

Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions

Researchers measured synthetic microfiber release from domestic washing machines in real household conditions, finding that millions of fibers are shed per wash cycle, with fiber release influenced by fabric type and wash parameters.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1556 citations
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

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

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

The contribution of washing processes of synthetic clothes to microplastic pollution

Real-scale wash trials of synthetic commercial garments measured microfiber release per wash, finding that release varied significantly with textile type, structure, and age, with some items releasing over 700,000 fibers per wash. The study quantifies the contribution of synthetic textile washing to microplastic pollution and identifies fiber characteristics that govern release rates.

2019 Scientific Reports 752 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

Release of polyester and cotton fibers from textiles in machine washings

Researchers quantified the release of polyester and cotton microfibers from textiles during sequential machine washings. They found that the first wash released the most fibers, with amounts decreasing in subsequent washes, and estimated that household washing machines in Finland release hundreds of thousands of kilograms of textile microfibers annually. The study highlights laundry as a significant and ongoing source of microplastic and microfiber pollution entering wastewater systems.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 246 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of different microplastic fibres discharged from textiles in machine wash and tumble drying

Researchers quantified synthetic microplastic fibre emissions from five sequential machine washes and tumble dryings of synthetic fabrics, finding that fibre release decreased with successive washes and that two commercial in-machine fibre traps varied substantially in their collection efficiency, with implications for reducing domestic microplastic emissions.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 105 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on microplastic emission from textile materials and its reduction techniques

Researchers reviewed how synthetic textile fibers — tiny plastic threads released from clothes during washing, drying, and wearing — are a major source of microplastic pollution, entering waterways and food chains through seafood, salt, and drinking water. They identify fabric type, detergent, and washing conditions as key factors affecting fiber release, and propose textile finishing and regulatory strategies to reduce emissions.

2022 Polymer Degradation and Stability 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater: microfiber emissions from common household laundry

A household laundry study found that a 6 kg load of synthetic clothing released an average of 18 million microfibers into wastewater, with 93% of fibers under 500 micrometers in length. This is the first characterization of microfiber emissions under real household conditions, confirming laundry as a major domestic source of small microplastic pollution.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments from washing synthetic textiles

Washing synthetic textiles releases microplastic fibers into wastewater, and this study reviewed the scale of the problem and explored strategies to reduce emissions at the washing machine, garment design, and wastewater treatment levels. Textile laundering is considered one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution reaching aquatic environments.

2021 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A novel approach for rapid quantification and length distribution of microfibers released during domestic laundry.

Researchers developed a novel rapid method for directly quantifying microfibers released during domestic laundry and deriving their length distribution density function, addressing the lack of standardized quantification approaches for this significant source of microfiber pollution.

2025 Journal of hazardous materials
Systematic Review Tier 1

Emission of fibres from textiles: A critical and systematic review of mechanisms of release during machine washing

This systematic review examines how washing clothes in machines releases microfibers, both natural and plastic, into wastewater. Understanding the factors that drive fiber release during laundry is important because these microfibers are a major source of microplastic pollution in waterways and oceans, and they ultimately enter our food and water supply.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 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

Characterization of microfibers emission from textile washing from a domestic environment

Researchers found that household laundry machines release millions of microfibers per wash cycle, with top-loading machines emitting slightly more than front-loaders, and synthetic fibers accounting for only about 19% of total emissions, with the majority of fibers under 5 micrometers in length.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
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

Emissions of microplastic fibers from microfiber fleece during domestic washing

Researchers measured microfiber shedding during 10 washing cycles of a new polyester fleece and found that a single garment released hundreds of thousands of fibers per wash. This is one of the first quantitative studies to confirm domestic laundry as a major source of microfibers entering wastewater and ultimately aquatic environments.

2016 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 381 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the Relationship between Textile Microplastics Shedding and Fabric Structure

Researchers investigated the relationship between textile fabric structure and microplastic shedding during washing, finding that fabric type, weave pattern, and mechanical stress significantly influence the number of microfibers released.

2022 Polymers 23 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

A review of the current status of microfiber pollution research in textiles

This review synthesizes research on microfiber shedding from textiles, examining how fiber properties (length, diameter, twist, surface treatment) influence how much a fabric sheds during laundering. Microfibers from textile washing are one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution in wastewater and aquatic environments globally.

2020 International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Laundering and textile parameters influence fibers release in household washings

Laboratory washing experiments showed that the release of synthetic microfibers from textiles is influenced by both laundering parameters (water volume, wash cycle) and fabric characteristics (yarn structure, weave type). Understanding these factors can help design more fiber-retaining fabrics and washing machines to reduce microfiber pollution in wastewater.

2019 Environmental Pollution 192 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

Microfiber release from different fabrics during washing

This study quantified microfiber shedding from polyester, polyamide, and acrylic fabrics during washing, finding that fiber release depended on fabric construction and washing conditions, with up to tens of thousands of fibers released per wash.

2019 Environmental Pollution 249 citations