Impact of quantification method on microfiber assessment - A comparative analysis between mass and count based...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Textile Science
• Pollution Studies

Background:

• Microfibers from textiles are emerging anthropogenic pollutants, with domestic laundry being a primary release source.
• Existing studies report diverse microfiber quantities due to varied quantification methodologies.
• Discrepancies in reported microfiber release highlight the need for standardized and accurate measurement techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare microfiber release from knitted polyester fabric using both count-based and mass-based quantification methods.
• To investigate the significant discrepancies observed between different microfiber measurement techniques.

Main Methods:

• Four distinct knitted polyester fabrics were subjected to microfiber release analysis.
• Microfiber quantification was performed using three established counting processes from existing literature.
• Direct weight difference estimation was employed as a mass-based quantification method.

Main Results:

• Direct counting revealed an average microfiber release of 13.28–33.16 microfibers/sq.cm.
• Direct weight estimation indicated an average release of 0.0664 ± 0.0289 mg/sq.cm.
• Weight-based methods showed 41.3–42.9 times higher microfiber release compared to direct counting, potentially due to detergent surfactants, water contaminants, or fabric finishes.

Conclusions:

• Significant quantitative differences exist between count-based and mass-based microfiber analysis of polyester textiles.
• Weight-based methods, while simpler and faster, may overestimate microfiber release due to extraneous substances.
• Future research should focus on refining mass-based quantification to minimize error and improve accuracy in assessing textile microfiber pollution.