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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Does Use Matter? Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Clothing Based on Fiber Type
ClearLaundry Care Regimes: Do the Practices of Keeping Clothes Clean Have Different Environmental Impacts Based on the Fibre Content?
This study examined how different textile fiber contents influence the environmental impacts of clothing care, finding that synthetic fiber garments generate more microplastic shedding during washing while natural fibers have other environmental trade-offs. Laundry care choices and fiber content both affect how much microplastic pollution is released into wastewater from household textile washing.
Environmental assessment of Swedish clothing consumption – six garments, sustainable futures
A lifecycle assessment of six common garments purchased in Sweden found that production — especially fiber manufacturing — dominated the environmental footprint for most clothing types, while use-phase laundering contributed significantly for synthetic items. The study is relevant to microplastic pollution because synthetic textile washing releases microfibers during the use phase.
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.
Domestic laundry and microfiber pollution: Exploring fiber shedding from consumer apparel textiles
Researchers measured microfiber shedding from a range of consumer apparel textiles during simulated laundry cycles, finding that fiber release varied substantially by fabric type, construction, and wash conditions, with polyester fleece releasing the most microfibers per wash.
A critical review on environmental pollution caused by the textile industry
This review examines how the textile industry contributes to environmental pollution, including the release of microplastics from synthetic fibers during washing. The study highlights that non-biodegradable materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic shed microplastic fibers that enter water systems, potentially harming marine organisms and entering the human food chain.
Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments
Researchers compared the freshwater environmental impacts of natural wool and synthetic polyester textiles across their entire lifecycle. They found that wool poses the greatest risk during production, while polyester textiles are most harmful during use and disposal phases, largely through microfiber release. The study highlights that both natural and synthetic textiles present substantial challenges for freshwater environments, requiring tailored solutions in different regions.
Release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles during household washing
Researchers measured how much microplastic fiber different synthetic fabrics release during home washing, finding that woven fabrics shed more than knitted ones and thicker, heavier fabrics released more fibers overall. Notably, recycled polyester released more microplastic fibers than virgin polyester under the same conditions. The study also found that the optional pre-wash cycle releases significantly more fibers than the main wash, suggesting skipping it could reduce pollution.
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.
Fragmented fibre (including microplastic) pollution from textiles
This review examined fragmented fiber pollution from all textile types including natural, regenerated, and synthetic fabrics, finding that all textiles release fibers throughout their lifecycle from manufacturing to washing to disposal, and that natural fiber shedding has been underestimated relative to synthetic fibers in pollution assessments.
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.
Clothes Encounters of the Microfibre Kind
This review examines how natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic textile fibers enter the environment and affect organisms and ecosystems, highlighting that fiber type influences toxicity and persistence. The authors conclude that textile fibers are an underappreciated category of microplastic pollution with diverse ecological effects.
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.
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.
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.
Microfiber Release to Water, Via Laundering, and to Air, via Everyday Use: A Comparison between Polyester Clothing with Differing Textile Parameters
Researchers measured microfiber release from polyester garments into both wash water and air during everyday wear, finding that release into air was comparable to or exceeded laundry release and was influenced by fabric structure, yarn type, and twist level.
Tracing Fiber Sustainability
This review examines the sustainability claims surrounding textile fiber production in the fashion industry, addressing widespread consumer misconceptions and greenwashing practices that misrepresent the environmental impact of various fiber types. The authors analyze how misleading environmental labeling — particularly for synthetic fibers that shed microplastic particles during use and washing — obscures genuine sustainability assessments and hinders meaningful industry progress.
“The effect of the detergent on microfibre release during the washing process of polyester textiles”
This study examined how detergent type affects microfiber release from polyester fabrics during washing, finding that detergent surfactant concentration and formulation significantly influenced fiber shedding, with some products reducing fiber release while others increased it compared to water-only washing.
Do Recycled Cotton or Polyester Fibers Influence the Shedding Propensity of Fabrics during Laundering?
Lab laundering experiments tested whether fabrics made with recycled cotton or polyester shed more or fewer fibers than conventional fabrics during washing. Results showed no significant difference in shedding related to recycled fiber content, suggesting that recycled textiles do not increase microplastic fiber pollution compared to virgin-fiber equivalents.
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.
Clothing and Textile Sustainability
This review examines sustainability challenges facing the global clothing and textile industry, covering resource use, chemical pollution, and the growing problem of microfiber release from synthetic textiles. Synthetic garments shed millions of microplastic fibers with every wash, making the textile industry a major contributor to global microplastic pollution.
Analysis of the polyester clothing value chain to identify key intervention points for sustainability
Researchers analyzed every stage of polyester clothing's lifecycle and found that microfibers shed during laundry are a significant pollution source, concluding that sustainability improvements — including better recycling and design changes — are needed across the entire supply chain to reduce environmental harm.
The Effect of the Physical and Chemical Properties of Synthetic Fabrics on the Release of Microplastics during Washing and Drying
Researchers investigated how the physical and chemical properties of synthetic fabrics influence microplastic fiber release during washing and drying, finding that fabric construction, fiber type, and surface treatment are key determinants of the quantity and characteristics of released microplastic particles.
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.
Environmental Degradation due to Synthetic Fibres
This review chapter examines how synthetic textile fibres—nylon, polyester, rayon, and acrylic—contribute to microplastic pollution through their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to washing. Because these fibres shed millions of microfibre particles into waterways with every laundry cycle and persist indefinitely in the environment, the global textile industry is identified as a major, ongoing source of plastic contamination.