How to minimize damage from microplastics from washing clothes – 01/29/2024 – Environment

Microplastics are appearing everywhere, from remote mountaintops to deep ocean trenches. They are present in many mammals, including humans.

The most common microplastics in the environment are microfibers: plastic fragments in the form of tiny strings or filaments.

Microfibers come from a variety of sources, such as cigarette butts, ropes and fishing nets. But their biggest source is synthetic fabrics, from where they are constantly expelled.

Fabrics expel microfibers during manufacturing, use and disposal, but especially during washing. A single machine wash can release millions of microfibers.

Many factors affect the amount of fibers released, such as the type of fabric, mechanical action, detergents, temperature and duration of the washing cycle.

My research focuses on coastal ecology and water pollution. It includes the swamps and estuaries of New York and New Jersey in the United States, which are heavily affected by human activities.

There are some points to consider about the need to reduce microplastic pollution released by your washing machine.

From fabric to water and soil

Once released from clothes in the washing machine, microfibers enter the sewage stream, which usually leads to a wastewater treatment plant. And advanced treatment facilities can remove up to 99% of microfibers from water.

But since a single wash can produce millions of fibers, the treated water discharged after treatment still contains a huge amount of microfibers.

The microfibers removed during treatment end up in sewage sludge — a mixture of solid materials that is processed to remove pathogens. And in many cases, treated sewage sludge is applied to the soil as a fertilizer.

This procedure allows microfibers to enter the air and soil, from where they travel to soil organisms and into the terrestrial food network — or are absorbed by agricultural products.

Microplastics that are washed into rivers, lakes and bays can cause many harmful effects. They can be consumed by fish and other aquatic animals, affecting their biochemistry, physiology, reproduction, development or behavior.

These microplastics contain chemical additives, including substances such as phthalates and bisphenol A. These additives can harm the health of humans and animals, even causing effects on the endocrine system.

Fabric microfibers also contain other substances with demonstrated toxicity, such as dyes, anti-wrinkle agents and flame retardants.

Furthermore, contaminants present in water, such as metals and pesticides, can adhere to microplastic particles and transform them into a true cocktail of contaminants, which can be transported to animals that ingest them.

More sustainable washing

Not all fabrics release the same amount of microfibers.

Lightweight fabrics with a fuzzy or fuzzy appearance, such as fleece, release more fibers than firmer fabrics.

Clothes made from natural fibers, such as wool and cotton, seem to be the solution, but they unfortunately also release microfibers that can absorb pollutants from the environment.

Scientists and manufacturers are developing fabrics that release fewer microfibers than current fabrics, thanks to features such as longer fibers and coatings to reduce their release.

Until these new fabrics are released, here are some ways to reduce the release of microfibers when washing clothes:

• Wash clothes less frequently. Washing with a full machine, rather than partial loads, reduces the release of microfibers as clothes are exposed to less friction during the wash cycle.
• Use cold water, which releases fewer microfibers than hot water.
• Use less detergent, which increases the release of microfibers.
• Use a front-loading washing machine. Its tumbling action reduces the release of microfibers.
• Dry the clothes on the line. The clothes dryer releases more fibers into the air through ventilation.

Several types of products collect microfibers in the washer before they are released with the waste water. Some of them are wash bags woven with monofilament — a single polyamide filament that does not disintegrate into fibers. The clothes are washed inside the bag, which captures the microfibers released by the fabrics.

A study concluded that one of these products (Guppyfriend) collects about a third of the microfibers released from clothes.

Another product, called Cora Ball, is a plastic ball that has spines with soft plastic discs at the ends, which capture microfibers.

It reduces microfibers by about 25 to 30%, but may not be suitable for light sewing because it can snag on threads and damage clothes.

Filter wastewater

There are several brands of external filters that can be fitted to existing washing machines. External filters can remove up to 90% of microfibers from washing rinse water.

Its average cost is around US$150 (around R$740). Homeowners need to clean the filters periodically and dispose of the collected microfibers with the solid waste — and not in the sink, which would take them back to the sewer.

In a 2021 study, researchers installed washing machine filters in 97 homes in a town in Ontario, Canada. They represent around 10% of the homes in that community.

They concluded that the measure significantly reduced microfibers in the water treated at the on-site treatment facility.

On the other hand, some companies started to manufacture washers with built-in microfiber filters.

France passed a standard requiring all new washing machines to be equipped with filters by 2025. And Australia announced that filters will be required on commercial and residential washers by 2030.

In the United States, California’s state legislature approved a similar requirement in 2023. But the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, vetoed the project, expressing concern about the cost to consumers.

An economic study commissioned by the organization Ocean Conservancy concluded that filters would increase the price of washing machines by just US$14 to 20 (about R$70 to 100) per unit.

Several other American states are considering adopting regulations that would require the inclusion of filters in washing machines.

In my opinion, requiring manufacturers to add filters to washing machines that can capture microfibers is an economical and reasonable measure that could quickly reduce the huge amounts of microfibers in wastewater.

The possible solution would be to reformulate the fabrics so that they do not release fibers. But it will take time for them to be developed and transferred into clothing supply chains.

Meanwhile, filters are the most effective way to combat the problem.

Judith Weis is professor emeritus of biological sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, United States.

This article was originally published on the academic news website The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the original English version here.