Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George St., Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
Consumption Research Norway (SIFO), Oslo Metropolitan University, PO Box 4 St. Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 20;652:483-494. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.166. Epub 2018 Oct 12.
Textiles release fibres to the environment during production, use, and at end-of-life disposal. Approximately two-thirds of all textile items are now synthetic, dominated by petroleum-based organic polymers such as polyester, polyamide and acrylic. Plastic microfibres (<5 mm) and nanofibres (<100 nm) have been identified in ecosystems in all regions of the globe and have been estimated to comprise up to 35% of primary microplastics in marine environments, a major proportion of microplastics on coastal shorelines and to persist for decades in soils treated with sludge from waste water treatment plants. In this paper we present a critical review of factors affecting the release from fabrics of microfibres, and of the risks for impacts on ecological systems and potentially on human health. This review is used as a basis for exploring the potential to include a metric for microplastic pollution in tools that have been developed to quantify the environmental performance of apparel and home textiles. We conclude that the simple metric of mass or number of microfibres released combined with data on their persistence in the environment, could provide a useful interim mid-point indicator in sustainability assessment tools to support monitoring and mitigation strategies for microplastic pollution. Identified priority research areas include: (1) Standardised analytical methods for textile microfibres and nanofibres; (2) Ecotoxicological studies using environmentally realistic concentrations; (3) Studies tracking the fate of microplastics in complex food webs; and (4) Refined indicators for microfibre impacts in apparel and home textile sustainability assessment tools.
纺织品在生产、使用和最终处置过程中会向环境释放纤维。现在大约三分之二的纺织品都是合成的，主要由聚酯、聚酰胺和丙烯腈等石油基有机聚合物组成。微纤维（<5 毫米）和纳米纤维（<100 纳米）已在全球所有地区的生态系统中被发现，并据估计，它们占海洋环境中初级微塑料的 35%，占沿海岸线微塑料的主要部分，并在经污水处理厂污泥处理的土壤中持续存在数十年。本文对影响织物释放微纤维的因素以及对生态系统和潜在对人类健康的影响风险进行了批判性评估。本综述旨在探讨在已开发的用于量化服装和家用纺织品环境性能的工具中纳入微塑料污染指标的潜力。我们的结论是，释放的微纤维的质量或数量的简单指标，结合其在环境中的持久性数据，可在可持续性评估工具中提供一个有用的中期指标，以支持微塑料污染的监测和缓解策略。确定的优先研究领域包括：（1）用于纺织微纤维和纳米纤维的标准化分析方法；（2）使用环境现实浓度的生态毒理学研究；（3）跟踪微塑料在复杂食物网中命运的研究；（4）在服装和家用纺织品可持续性评估工具中对微纤维影响的细化指标。
