Wang Chunhui, Song Jing, Nunes Luís Miguel, Zhao Hongting, Wang Peng, Liang Zhirong, Arp Hans Peter H, Li Gang, Xing Baoshan
Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo 315830, China.
CERIS-Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro 8005-199, Portugal.
J Hazard Mater. 2024 Sep 15;477:135290. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135290. Epub 2024 Jul 21.
The rapid expansion of fast fashion has significantly increased microplastic fiber (MPF) release during laundry practices, accounting for approximately one-third of primary microplastics entering the ocean. Currently, a significant gap exists in global-scale research on the release of MPFs from washing textiles. This study introduces an innovative empirical model to assess the spatial distribution of MPF emissions. The model estimates an annual global emission of 5.69 million tons of MPFs from laundry. Of this total, machine washing accounts for the majority (93.7 %), with hand washing contributing the remaining 6.3 %. As the primary source of MPF pollution, Asia's emissions reach 3.71 million tons, far exceeding those of North America (1.18 million tons) and Europe (0.45 million tons). The primary issue is that wastewater management efficiency varies significantly worldwide. In Asia, there is persistently high discharge of MPFs into natural waters, and the removal efficiency of wastewater treatment plants is still comparatively low. In contrast, the United States and many European countries exhibit better MPF retention. The global nature of this challenge mandates international collaboration for comprehensive environmental conservation. Our study provides the first high-resolution global distribution map of MPF emissions and discharge into natural waters, establishing a data foundation for global and regional management of microplastics originating from household laundry sources.
快时尚的迅速扩张显著增加了洗衣过程中微塑料纤维（MPF）的释放量，约占进入海洋的原生微塑料的三分之一。目前，关于纺织品洗涤过程中MPF释放的全球规模研究存在显著差距。本研究引入了一种创新的实证模型来评估MPF排放的空间分布。该模型估计全球每年洗衣产生的MPF排放量为569万吨。其中，机洗占大部分（93.7%），手洗占其余的6.3%。作为MPF污染的主要来源，亚洲的排放量达到371万吨，远远超过北美（118万吨）和欧洲（45万吨）。主要问题是全球范围内废水管理效率差异很大。在亚洲，MPF持续大量排放到天然水体中，污水处理厂的去除效率仍然相对较低。相比之下，美国和许多欧洲国家对MPF的截留效果更好。这一挑战具有全球性，需要国际合作以进行全面的环境保护。我们的研究提供了首张MPF排放及排入天然水体的高分辨率全球分布图，为源自家庭洗衣源的微塑料的全球和区域管理奠定了数据基础。
