Textile experts at Heriot-Watt University in the Scottish Borders developed the world's first method of detecting the amount of microplastic fiber fragments shed from a piece of clothing, per an article posted by the university on Phys.org.
Across the ocean floor, even at the deepest levels, lie more than 14 million metric tonnes (about 15.4 million tons) of microplastics, according to estimates. Every year, the amount of microplastics released into the ocean increases.
One of the more significant contributors to microplastic waste is the fashion industry. Many textiles, including nylon and polyester, shed thousands of tiny fibers that are as small as a fraction of a millimeter but can cause major damage for wildlife and the environment.
The new technology is designed to rate the level of microplastics shed to better inform consumers and manufacturing companies.
Over four years, Lisa Macintyre, associate professor of textiles at the university's School of Textiles and Design in Galashiels, led a small team of researchers to develop this groundbreaking visual "fiber fragmentation scale."
The scale assesses the volume of fiber fragments shed from various textiles using a five-point scale: level one indicates the highest volume of shed fibers, and level five indicates the lowest.
Alternative techniques, such as those used by the International Organization for Standardization, are slower and more expensive. Manufacturers can quickly use this new method to identify low-shedding materials and choose them for further testing and, eventually, garment production.
"The microplastics problem is massive. Fashion and textiles is one of the biggest sources of secondary microplastics in the environment with fragments of plastic fibers, like polyester and nylon, being shed from clothing," Macintyre said.
"There are fiber fragments absolutely everywhere, from icebergs to the deepest ocean to human lungs and our food; they're in everything."
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By avoiding manufacturing garments that have high volumes of plastic shedding, companies can lower their waste outputs. If the information were included on clothing, consumers could easily make more eco-friendly choices while shopping as well.
Other ways to combat pollution, such as the amount of microplastics in the ocean, include reducing consumption and switching to plastic-free alternatives for everyday products such as water bottles.
By cutting down on plastic waste, we can work toward ridding our food, water, and bodies of dangerous microplastics as well as making the environment safer for future generations.
"The next stage for us is to try and get some kind of industry agreement," Macintyre said. "The environment is an important issue, and we'd want to get key industry leaders and policymakers to sit down and start agreeing standards, perhaps even legislating against high-shedding materials."
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