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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

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Reducing microplastic fiber shedding from hand-washed polyester.

Amanuel Goliad¹, Samuel Au¹, Kevin Golovin²

¹Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G8, Canada.

Scientific Reports

|November 11, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Hand washing textiles releases microplastic fibers (MPFs), with higher water total dissolved solids (TDS) increasing MPF release but decreasing fiber length. Anti-MPF coatings are effective during hand washing, though efficacy varies by fabric type.

Keywords:

Fabric finishes Hand-washing Microplastic fibres Microplastics Silicones

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Disentangling High Strength Copolymer Aramid Fibers to Enable the Determination of Their Mechanical Properties

Disentangling High Strength Copolymer Aramid Fibers to Enable the Determination of Their Mechanical Properties

Published on: September 1, 2018

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Materials Science
Textile Engineering

Background:

Microplastic fibers (MPFs) are an ecological and health concern, with textile washing being a major source.
Most MPF research focuses on machine washing, yet hand washing is prevalent globally.
Existing MPF-reducing coatings have primarily been tested under machine-washing conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of MPF-reducing coatings during hand washing.
To investigate the impact of water quality, specifically total dissolved solids (TDS), on MPF release during hand washing.
To compare MPF release from different polyester fabric constructions (dyed black and green) under various hand-washing conditions.

Main Methods:

Hand washing of coated and uncoated 100% polyester fabrics (green and black) in deionized water, tap water, and Lake Ontario water.
Quantification of microplastic fiber (MPF) release per gram of fabric.
Analysis of MPF length distribution in released fibers.
Assessment of anti-MPF coating efficacy across different water conditions and fabric types.

Main Results:

Higher total dissolved solids (TDS) in water significantly increased MPF release from both coated and uncoated fabrics.
Hand washing in Lake Ontario water (high TDS) released 200-240% more MPFs/g from uncoated fabrics compared to deionized water.
Higher TDS water reduced the mean length of released MPFs, indicating further fiber fracturing.
The efficacy of MPF-reducing coatings varied significantly by fabric construction, reducing release by 77-92% for green polyester but only 26-37% for black polyester.

Conclusions:

Anti-MPF coatings demonstrate efficacy in reducing fiber release during hand washing.
Water total dissolved solids (TDS) play a critical role in the quantity and characteristics of released MPFs.
Fabric construction significantly influences the performance of MPF-reducing coatings during hand washing.