Washing Clothes Releases Microplastic That Can Hurt The Environment, Research Shows

Solid plastic particles known as microbeads, is one of those materials that  ruin the ocean. Thus, bills have been passed to ban the use of microbeads in soaps and other products. However, a new study discovered that a new microplastic peril is coming to again ruin the marine life.

Microscopic synthetic fibers can be released in the wastewater every time domestic clothes will be washed. Approximately 700,000 of the fibers go to the ocean which creates a microplastic danger in the marine life. A team of researchers found this possibility by conducting a study.

Professor Richard Thompson from Plymouth University, lead author of the study conducted an experiment. He and his team tested different kinds of clothes, which compose of acrylic, polyester, and polyester-cotton. They then washed this inside a washing machine with at 30˚C (86˚F) and 40˚C (104˚F).

The result led them to discover that a single 6-kilogram wash could discharge approximately 137,951 fibers from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 728,789 from acrylic, and 496,030 fibers from polyester. Meanwhile, it also revealed that using fabric softener and bio-detergents could release more fibers, as reported by IFL Science. 

The team concluded that hundreds of thousands of the synthetic articles are released during each wash. Thus, washing clothes is the cause that microscopic fibers are released that could be washed out in the marine environment.

Professor Thompson suggested that the quantity of microplastic in the environment will increase over the next few decades. The concern of the team is how harmful it is if ingested. However as their research shows that washing clothes are the culprit of the release of tiny fibers, there is still little research on its relevance, according to Phys.Org. 

He also added that "clearly, what we are not advocating that this research should trigger something similar to the recently announced ban on microbeads." His team still needs further study to understand other factors. He emphasized that design of the washing machine's filter and spin speed is one of the many potential factors that microfibers was released.  Their study will soon be published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.