Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Modelling microplastic fibre emissions from synthetic textiles: An Australian case

Researchers modeled microplastic fiber emissions from synthetic textiles across Australia, estimating emission quantities, identifying geographic hotspots, and tracing fibres to their environmental receiving compartments. The model found that domestic laundry is the dominant emission source, with most fibres ultimately reaching wastewater treatment systems or water bodies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Quantity and fate of synthetic microfiber emissions from apparel washing in California and strategies for their reduction

Researchers quantified synthetic microfiber emissions from apparel washing across California, finding laundry to be a major microplastic source, and evaluated strategies including appliance filters and fabric standards to reduce microfiber releases to wastewater systems.

2022 Environmental Pollution 37 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

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

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
Review Tier 2

Synthetic textile and microfiber pollution: a review on mitigation strategies

This review examines strategies to mitigate synthetic textile microfiber pollution, covering filtration technologies, fiber-shedding-reducing fabric designs, wastewater treatment upgrades, and policy measures.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 96 citations
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

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

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

A planet too rich in fibre

Researchers highlighted that synthetic microfibres shed from clothing have become pervasive across environmental compartments — including drinking water and food — raising concerns about chronic human and ecosystem exposure to a poorly understood class of microplastic contaminant.

2018 EMBO Reports 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of Microfibers Discharged into the Urban and Suburban Environment

Researchers tracked the discharge and environmental fate of microfibers in urban and suburban environments, finding that wastewater treatment effluent and stormwater drainage are primary pathways by which synthetic microfibers enter local waterways.

2024 1 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Environmental contamination by microplastics originating from textiles: Emission, transport, fate and toxicity

This review examines how synthetic textiles release fibrous microplastics into the environment through laundering, wear, and disposal. Researchers traced the journey of textile-derived microplastics from washing machines through wastewater treatment plants and into waterways, soils, and the atmosphere. The study highlights that textile fibers are among the most common types of microplastics found in the environment and calls for better mitigation strategies at every stage of the textile lifecycle.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 90 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

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

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

Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures

Researchers measured microfiber release from real household washing machines across different wash programs and found that machine type, spin speed, and cycle duration all significantly affect how many synthetic fabric fibers — a major source of microplastic pollution — escape into wastewater. They identified optimal washing conditions (higher spin speed, longer cycle) that can meaningfully reduce microfiber emissions during everyday laundry.

2024 Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 3 citations