Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 23, 2025
Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
Published on: March 21, 2025
An innovative evaluation method based on polymer mass detection to evaluate the contribution of microfibers from
Yujie Tian1, Zhuo Chen1, Jiayao Zhang1
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
Abstract:
Clothes washing releases numerous microfibers, including microplastic fibers (MPFs). Although MPFs in laundry wastewater are an important source of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), credible quantitative assessments of their contributions remain limited. Polyester fiber is the most important textile fiber. Its component, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer, can be quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The release of MPFs from polyester clothes through washing was quantified via simulation experiments, and the MPFs in two WWTPs were measured by microscopic counting and LC-MS/MS. Direct comparison of the abundances of PET MPFs in laundry wastewater and WWTP influents led to an undervalued contribution rate of 9%-11% of the PET MPFs in laundry wastewater to those in WWTP influents. However, comparison of the mass of PET MPFs in laundry wastewater and WWTPs influents revealed that the PET MPFs from laundry contributed approximately 50% of those in the WWTPs. The latter was confirmed by comparing the number of polyester fibers released during clothes washing to the calculated number of "model MPFs" in WWTPs according to the PET mass concentration. Based on the PET concentration, the annual discharge of PET MPs from WWTPs to the water environment could also be estimated.
Insights
Laundry wastewater significantly contributes microplastic fibers (MPFs) to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). A study found that while MPFs from laundry are numerous, their mass contribution to WWTP influents is approximately 50%.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Textile Science
Background:
- Microplastic fibers (MPFs) are released during clothes washing, posing a challenge for wastewater treatment.
- Accurate quantification of MPFs from laundry into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is limited.
- Polyester, a common textile fiber, is composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer amenable to quantification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify microplastic fiber (MPF) release from polyester clothing during washing.
- To assess the contribution of laundry wastewater MPFs to microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
- To estimate the annual discharge of PET MPs from WWTPs into aquatic environments.
Main Methods:
- Simulated clothes washing experiments to quantify MPF release.
- Microscopic counting and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to measure MPFs in laundry wastewater and WWTP influents.
- Mass-based comparison of PET MPFs in laundry wastewater and WWTP influents.
Main Results:
- Direct abundance comparison underestimated laundry's PET MPF contribution to WWTP influents (9%-11%).
- Mass-based comparison revealed laundry contributes approximately 50% of PET MPFs in WWTP influents.
- Polyester fiber release data correlated with calculated "model MPFs" in WWTPs, confirming the mass-based findings.
Conclusions:
- Mass contribution is a more accurate metric than abundance for assessing laundry's impact on WWTP microplastic loads.
- Wastewater treatment plants receive a substantial load of microplastic fibers originating from domestic laundry.
- PET MPF concentrations provide a basis for estimating annual microplastic discharges into the environment.
