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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

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Published on: December 16, 2016

Microplastics' emissions: Microfibers' detachment from textile garments.

Francisco Belzagui¹, Martí Crespi¹, Antonio Álvarez²

¹Institut d'Investigació Tèxtil i Cooperació Industrial de Terrassa (INTEXTER), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - Barcelona Tech. C/Colom 15, Terrassa, Spain.

Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)

|May 17, 2019

Summary

Textile microfibers (MF) are a significant environmental pollutant. This study quantifies MF detachment from garments, establishing comparable units and finding a correlation with fabric density.

Keywords:

Microfiber Microplastic Pollution Textile

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Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

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Published on: March 21, 2025

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Materials Science
Polymer Science

Background:

Microplastics, synthetic polymers <5 mm, are a growing environmental concern due to their widespread presence.
Textile microfibers (MFs) are a major microplastic sub-group, shed during laundry and found in food and water.
Lack of standardized methodologies hinders comparison of MF detachment studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate microfiber detachment rates from finished textile garments.
To establish a set of comparable units for reporting MF release data.
To address the need for standardized quantification in microfiber research.

Main Methods:

Quantification of microfibers detached from various textile garments during simulated laundry processes.
Analysis of the relationship between microfiber detachment rates and textile article superficial density.
Comparison of derived microfiber mass and number flow rates with existing ocean pollution estimates.

Main Results:

Microfiber detachment rates varied significantly, ranging from 175 to 560 MF/g or 30,000–465,000 MF/m² of garment.
A strong positive correlation was observed between microfiber detachment and the superficial density of textile articles.
The study's findings indicate discrepancies with previous mass flow estimations, differing by factors of 30 (mass) and 40 (number).

Conclusions:

Standardized units are crucial for accurate reporting and comparison of microfiber detachment data.
Textile superficial density is a key factor influencing microfiber shedding.
Further research is needed to reconcile differing estimates of microfiber pollution from textiles.