Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures
The shedding of microfibers from synthetic textiles during laundry significantly contributes to microplastic pollution in various environments. Despite growing awareness, the contribution of microfiber emissions from actual household washing machines and the potential influences of washing activitie...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266601642400464X |
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| author | Rawintra Eamrat Tatchai Pussayanavin Somporn Tanatvanit Yuttana Niyompong Kamonrat Kwamman Suphatchai Rujakom Achara Taweesan |
| author_facet | Rawintra Eamrat Tatchai Pussayanavin Somporn Tanatvanit Yuttana Niyompong Kamonrat Kwamman Suphatchai Rujakom Achara Taweesan |
| author_sort | Rawintra Eamrat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The shedding of microfibers from synthetic textiles during laundry significantly contributes to microplastic pollution in various environments. Despite growing awareness, the contribution of microfiber emissions from actual household washing machines and the potential influences of washing activities on their release remain inadequately understood. This study aims to quantify and characterize microfibers generated from different washing programs in actual household washing activities. It proposes optimal conditions for washing machine activities to effectively mitigate the environmental consequences of microfiber contamination using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The results indicated that types of washing machines, speed of configuration and cycle duration significantly impact on microfiber release quantities. The estimated microfiber releases for the daily, quick, and delicate programs from the front-loading machine were 62.82 ± 6.29 mg/kg, 48.56 ± 15.85 mg/kg, and 12.73 ± 3.04 mg/kg, while the top-loading machine exhibited microfiber release levels of approximately 69.26 ± 3.44 mg/kg, 38.35 ± 5.54 mg/kg and 7.50 ± 2.51 mg/kg, as washing load of 4.21 kg, respectively. Polyester was identified as the predominant polymer, with an average fiber length of 1915 μm. The dominant colors of the fragments are white, dark blue, and red, which are related to the original household textiles test. The optimal conditions for reducing microfiber emissions include using a rotational speed of 1450 rpm and a cycle duration of 1.7 hours, alongside selecting appropriate washing programs with optimal durations to minimize releases during household laundry. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-de9ca77bc3b44517b8c74758fd91ee8e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-0164 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-de9ca77bc3b44517b8c74758fd91ee8e2025-01-11T06:41:57ZengElsevierCase Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering2666-01642025-06-0111101070Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measuresRawintra Eamrat0Tatchai Pussayanavin1Somporn Tanatvanit2Yuttana Niyompong3Kamonrat Kwamman4Suphatchai Rujakom5Achara Taweesan6Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, ThailandDepartment of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, ThailandDepartment of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, ThailandDepartment of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, ThailandDepartment of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, ThailandSchool of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mahidol University, Kanchanaburi Campus, Kanchanaburi, 71150, ThailandDepartment of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 10240, Thailand; Corresponding author.The shedding of microfibers from synthetic textiles during laundry significantly contributes to microplastic pollution in various environments. Despite growing awareness, the contribution of microfiber emissions from actual household washing machines and the potential influences of washing activities on their release remain inadequately understood. This study aims to quantify and characterize microfibers generated from different washing programs in actual household washing activities. It proposes optimal conditions for washing machine activities to effectively mitigate the environmental consequences of microfiber contamination using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The results indicated that types of washing machines, speed of configuration and cycle duration significantly impact on microfiber release quantities. The estimated microfiber releases for the daily, quick, and delicate programs from the front-loading machine were 62.82 ± 6.29 mg/kg, 48.56 ± 15.85 mg/kg, and 12.73 ± 3.04 mg/kg, while the top-loading machine exhibited microfiber release levels of approximately 69.26 ± 3.44 mg/kg, 38.35 ± 5.54 mg/kg and 7.50 ± 2.51 mg/kg, as washing load of 4.21 kg, respectively. Polyester was identified as the predominant polymer, with an average fiber length of 1915 μm. The dominant colors of the fragments are white, dark blue, and red, which are related to the original household textiles test. The optimal conditions for reducing microfiber emissions include using a rotational speed of 1450 rpm and a cycle duration of 1.7 hours, alongside selecting appropriate washing programs with optimal durations to minimize releases during household laundry.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266601642400464XEnvironmental impactInfluencing factorsHousehold washing activitiesMicrofibersMicroplasticsWashing machines |
| spellingShingle | Rawintra Eamrat Tatchai Pussayanavin Somporn Tanatvanit Yuttana Niyompong Kamonrat Kwamman Suphatchai Rujakom Achara Taweesan Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering Environmental impact Influencing factors Household washing activities Microfibers Microplastics Washing machines |
| title | Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| title_full | Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| title_short | Unveiling microfiber emissions: A comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| title_sort | unveiling microfiber emissions a comprehensive analysis of household washing activities and mitigation measures |
| topic | Environmental impact Influencing factors Household washing activities Microfibers Microplastics Washing machines |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266601642400464X |
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