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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to A planet too rich in fibre
ClearUnraveling 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.
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.
Marine environment microfiber contamination: Global patterns and the diversity of microparticle origins
Researchers collected 1,393 one-liter water grab samples globally and found a mean microparticle concentration of 11.8 particles per liter — roughly 1,000 times higher than model predictions — with 91% being microfibers, 57% synthetic, and highest densities in polar oceans, while also documenting underreported non-synthetic and semi-synthetic fibers from natural textile sources.
Shedding light on the invisible: addressing the potential for groundwater contamination by plastic microfibers
Researchers examined the potential for synthetic microplastic fibers shed from textiles during washing to contaminate groundwater systems, finding that current understanding of microfiber behavior in aquifers is very limited and calling for targeted research on this largely overlooked contamination pathway.
Microplastic pollution from textiles: A literature review
This review examines the current state of knowledge on microplastic pollution, focusing specifically on synthetic microfibre shedding from textiles during washing and the significance of this source for marine and freshwater contamination.
Assessment of Microplastics in the Environment – Fibres: the Disregarded Twin?
This paper argues that synthetic fibers are systematically underestimated in environmental microplastic monitoring because they are often excluded from sampling protocols. Since synthetic textiles are ubiquitous and shed fibers through washing and wear, ignoring fibers means current assessments substantially undercount total microplastic environmental pollution.
Microplastic pollution a real global danger
This paper summarizes the global microplastic pollution crisis, noting that humans are exposed through food, drink, and air, with polyester fibers from synthetic textiles among the most common types found in the environment. It argues for preventive and corrective measures at the international and individual levels.
A Systematic Literature Review for Addressing Microplastic Fibre Pollution: Urgency and Opportunities
This review summarizes existing research on microplastic fibers, tiny synthetic threads released mainly from washing clothes and breaking down plastic products. These fibers have been found in water, air, and even human organs, where they can carry absorbed toxins. The authors call for urgent action to manage fiber pollution at its source and reduce human exposure.
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.
Sources and Ubiquity of Microfibers
This review addresses the sources and ubiquity of microfibers in the environment, arguing for a clearer definition of microfibers as emerging contaminants and synthesizing evidence of their prevalence in freshwater and marine ecosystems globally.
Synthetic microfiber emissions to land rival those to waterbodies and are growing
Researchers found that synthetic microfiber emissions to land from laundry sludge application are comparable in magnitude to emissions to waterbodies, and that total emissions are growing with global apparel production, with wastewater treatment plants redistributing rather than eliminating microfiber pollution.
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.
Microfibers in oceanic surface waters: A global characterization
A global analysis of 916 seawater samples from six ocean basins characterized microfibers as ubiquitous contaminants, finding that many are not synthetic textiles but natural or semi-synthetic materials, questioning the assumption that all environmental fibers are microplastic.
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.
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.
Effects and Characterization of Environmental Conditions on Microplastic Fibers Release from Synthetic Textile
Researchers investigated how environmental conditions such as moist heat, high-temperature drying, and abrasion affect the release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles. The study found that these aging processes significantly increased fiber shedding, highlighting synthetic clothing as a major ongoing source of microplastic contamination in water environments.
The fiber microparticle pipeline in the marine water column – from source to mitigation strategies
This review examines the sources, environmental transport, and health implications of microfibers — including synthetic fibers from textiles and natural fibers — in the marine water column. With global fiber production exceeding 100 million metric tons annually, synthetic microfibers are one of the most abundant forms of microplastic in the ocean.
Beyond plastics: occurrence and ecological risks of non-plastic microfibres in aquatic organisms
This systematic review highlights that non-plastic microfibres from cotton, wool, and rayon clothing are also widespread pollutants in aquatic environments. These fibres, often overlooked in favor of plastic pollution, carry chemical additives and accumulate in aquatic organisms, suggesting the microparticle problem in our food chain is broader than previously thought.
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.
Unraveling Physical and Chemical Effects of Textile Microfibers
This review examines both the physical and chemical effects of textile microfibers on organisms, discussing how these most prevalent microplastics expose biota to manufacturing chemicals and environmental contaminants across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.