Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34 - 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 29;9(1):6633. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-43023-x.
Microplastic pollution caused by washing processes of synthetic textiles has recently been assessed as the main source of primary microplastics in the oceans. Therefore, understanding the effective contribution of the washing process of synthetic clothes to this environmental problem, is of great importance. In this study, wash trials at real scale were performed on commercial clothes by using a household washing machine in order to gain reliable data about the release of microplastics, and to identify possible influences of textile characteristics on the release. The wastewater was collected and filtered through subsequent filters with decreasing porosity, and the amount and dimensions of microfibres were determined. Microfibre release was analysed in relation to the nature and characteristics of the washed clothes. Results showed that microfibres released during washing range from 124 to 308 mg for kg of washed fabric depending from the type of washed garment that corresponds to a number of microfibres ranging from 640,000 to 1,500,000. Some textile characteristics, such as the type of fibres constituting the yarns and their twist, influenced the release of microfibres during washing. A great amount of microfibres of cellulosic nature was also released during washing of clothes made with a blend of polyester/cellulose. Finally the most abundant fraction of microfibres shed was retained by filters with pore size of 60 µm, presenting an average length of 360-660 μm and an average diameter of 12-16 μm, indicating dimensions that could pass through wastewater treatment plants and pose a threat for marine organisms.
微塑料污染是由合成纺织品的洗涤过程引起的，最近被评估为海洋中初级微塑料的主要来源。因此，了解合成衣物洗涤过程对这一环境问题的有效贡献非常重要。在这项研究中，通过使用家用洗衣机对商业衣物进行了实际规模的洗涤试验，以获得有关微塑料释放的可靠数据，并确定纺织品特性对释放的可能影响。收集废水并通过随后具有递减孔隙率的过滤器进行过滤，然后确定微纤维的数量和尺寸。分析了微纤维释放与洗涤衣物的性质和特征之间的关系。结果表明，洗涤过程中释放的微纤维数量范围为每公斤洗涤织物 124 至 308 毫克，具体取决于所洗涤衣物的类型，这对应于 640,000 至 1,500,000 个微纤维数量。一些纺织品特性，如构成纱线的纤维类型及其捻度，会影响洗涤过程中微纤维的释放。由聚酯/纤维素混纺制成的衣物洗涤时也会释放大量纤维素性质的微纤维。最后，通过孔径为 60μm 的过滤器截留的微纤维脱落量最多，其平均长度为 360-660μm，平均直径为 12-16μm，表明这些微纤维的尺寸可以通过废水处理厂并对海洋生物构成威胁。
