Environmental Impact of Microfibers

When you hear micro, know that it refers to tiny particles only viewable through a microscope. Now, imagine millions of something. Even though they are undetectable by the naked eye, they can be harmful, especially when they are made of toxic materials. This post investigates the environmental impact of microfibers.

Microfiber is a minuscule particle shed from any kind of fiber. Given the current influence of fast fashion worldwide, we can see an influx of clothing made with polyester and other artificial materials.

The production process, use, and maintenance of these clothes release a constant stream of microfibers, which negatively impacts the environment and its living organisms.  

Aside from discussing what microfibers are, learn where they come from and how to reduce shedding in your home and immediate environment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What are microfibers?

Microfibers are tiny, fine particles of synthetic fabrics that enter the environment during production and post-consumer use when people wash, maintain, and dispose of clothing. They are about the same size as microplastics, less than 5 millimeters long, and have diameters measured in micrometers. 

Remember the tiny strands of threads that shed from your jackets and other clothing and the lint that remains in the washer and dryer after washing and drying? Those are microfibers. 

Microfibers are 100 times finer than a strand of human hair. You can not see them with the naked eye unless you use a microscope. Microfibers are similar to microplastics, but do not mistake them for one another because microfibers are a subcategory of microplastics.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, a single load of laundry can release up to 18 million microfibers. Furthermore, washing clothes over the last 60 years released 5.6 million tons of synthetic microfibers. Can you imagine the scale of microfiber pollution in the environment? It is almost unfathomable.

Research also shows that 20 to 35% of microfibers are a significant source of microplastics in the ocean and other marine environments². Synthetic and natural fabrics all release microfibers. However, fast fashion makes synthetic fibers more prevalent in the environment.

Fast fashion prioritizes using synthetic materials like nylon, polyester, acrylic, and latex, which are not biodegradable and constitute a nuisance to the environment. Researchers categorize microfibers according to their ratio, from length to diameter, creating two categories: staple fiber and filament.

Staple fibers are about 3 and 20 cm long and are produced from natural and artificial fibers, except silk. Meanwhile, filament fibers are created from regenerated and synthetic fibers with indefinite lengths. Manufacturers cut filaments short to produce staple fibers for blending textiles in spinning engineering³.

What are microfiber fabrics?

Microfiber fabrics are synthetic fabrics made with ultra-fine fibers. The fibers measure under 10 micrometers and weigh under 0.7 D. Manufacturers create various microfiber fabrics for their durability, absorbency, and water-repelling qualities, making them popular cleaning products.

Microfiber fabric also has excellent electrostatic qualities, which make it great for filtration mechanisms. The textile industry has been manufacturing microfiber apparel since the early 1950s. They faced difficulties in the early stages of production because controlling the fiber length produced was difficult, limiting its potential applications. 

They became more successful at their attempts after the manufacturers pivoted from the melt-spinning production process and used bi-component polymers. Bicomponent polymers combine various textile plastics that are stronger than plastics with single components. Using it helped the manufacturers reduce breakage. 

In 1960, Toray, a Japanese textile company, started mass-producing microfiber fabric for the first time. Dr. Miyoshi Okamoto and Dr. Toyohiko Hikota helped produce many types of microfiber fabric, including Ultrasuede.

The fabric was much more prominent in the cleaning industry. Manufacturers used microfiber textiles to create kitchen towels, washcloths, mopheads, and other cleaning materials. Unfortunately, microfiber fabrics are becoming less prevalent in the modern world as we become more aware of the dangers of plastic microfibers in the environment.

How is microfiber fabric produced?

Here, we will learn how manufacturers produce microfiber cloth on a large scale from a patent by Moon Sung-ki. Manufacturers produce microfiber fabrics using the split-type micro-fabrication process, which forms a composite microfiber by alternately arranging a fiber-forming polyester resin and a polyamide resin. This combination creates a split microfiber.

Examples of this include warp or weft yarns. Split-type yarns are divided in the refining process to make them fine before going through the regular fabric production processes. However, manufacturers face some challenges with split-type micro-fabrication. 

The process influences the dyeability difference, making it difficult to dye both composite layers uniformly. The spun fibers have trouble fixing the dye molecules within the fibers after splitting. However, the solution to dye the two components is expensive and complicated.

However, manufacturers figured out a simplified process to deal with their dyeing problems. The method uses a high-shrinkage polyester yarn up to 40% but not less than 20% of the core yarn. The core yarn of microfiber fabric consists of fibers forming and extracting components.

Furthermore, the patent showed that they spin and weave the yarns before preheating, buffing, dyeing, and final heat treatment under regular processing conditions to produce polyester microfiber fabric-processed paper. They also used a rotary washer process, using a caustic soda solution to treat the microfiber for 20 minutes at 120 degrees Celsius.

With enough pressure, they refined and swollen the fabric while micronization occurred. This process reduces the need for a continuous reduction, reducing fabric bulkiness by passing it at a constant linear velocity into a caustic soda aqueous bath. 

Uses of Plastic Microfiber Products

Clothing and accessories

The fashion industry is one of the primary users of microfibers. Some fashion brands use microfibers to manufacture weatherproof clothing and functional sportswear attire without additional coating or membranes. They do this because of their wind—and water-repelling properties. 

Producers use microfiber to produce women's and men's outwear, raincoats, ski outfits, sweatshirts, and tracksuits. It is also present in non-garments such as sleeping bags, tents, car upholstery, filters, draperies, sofas, and chains. Some producers also use it to make rugs, belts, handbags, wallets, and other accessories that imitate leather. 

According to research, manufacturers use microfiber to produce 60% of synthetic leather worldwide⁵. People often buy microfiber because it offers more breathability, texture, lightweight, and dimensional stability. They also wear microfiber clothing because it is stain-resistant, easy to maintain, and lasts longer.

Industry

Microfibers have electrostatic properties, which make them one of the best filtering materials. Industrial manufacturers use microfibers as industrial filtration fibers in various applications. Furthermore, some in the construction industry use microfibers as insulation because they have a higher fiber density than other insulation materials.

Cleaning

Another sector that uses microfibers in its products is the cleaning industry. Manufacturers use it to make cleaning towels, kitchen towels, spectacle cleaners, bath sheets, and washcloths. 

People tend to prefer microfiber cleaning materials because they can pick up more dirt and grime than cloths made with other materials, including natural fibers. Research conducted by Kristen Gibson, Philip Crandall, and Steven Ricke corroborates microfiber's properties.

The study showed that damp microfiber cloths remove dirt and viruses. They tested the removal level of 10 damp microfiber cloths to remove pathogens harmful to human health. Some of these pathogens include Clostridium difficile spores, E. coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, although the removal level also depends on the surface and the organisms.

The researchers noted that microfiber cloth can remove bacteria and viruses from non-porous surfaces. It also transfers fewer viruses than cotton terry bar towels and non-woven clothes often used in the food service sector¹.

Medical use

Microfibers are also helpful in the medical sector. The industry uses tiny fibers to make microfiber filtration systems, including nose masks. Microfibers are compatible with human organs; medical experts use them in vascular prostheses. They also create medical textiles, implants, and other wound-healing products.

Sources of Microfiber Pollution: How does it enter the environment?

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, microfibers are harmful to the environment. They enter the environment in various ways, harming different ecosystems and organisms. Let's examine the various sources of microfiber plastic pollution in the environment based on the report by the Sustainable Investment Institute.

During the manufacturing process of synthetic clothing and microfiber fabric

Tons of tiny microfibers enter the environment throughout the various production stages of synthetic clothing and microfiber products. The abrasive dyeing, printing, and textile finishing processes also release microfiber waste. 

However, due to limited data, we can not tell the exact amount of microfibers entering the environment during production. Some estimate that 10 to 15% of microfibers are wasted during cloth production.

Note that not all microfiber waste enters the environment. Factories can capture it via an air filtration system. Regardless, a significant amount of plastic waste enters nature, primarily via the factory's wastewater channels. 

Shedding during cloth use and maintenance

Another source of microfiber waste in the environment is via microfiber shedding during cloth use, washing, and maintenance. As we wear clothes, wash, and iron them, microfibers shed because of chemical cleaners and mechanical friction. Various factors contribute to shedding. 

For instance, the age, composition, and weaving method of fabrics contribute to the shedding. Textiles and fibers contribute to microplastic pollution at different levels because they shed at varying rates. Among synthetic and semi-synthetic clothing, polyester sheds more than other synthetic materials like nylon.

Among natural origins, wool and cotton fiber shed a lot more than other synthetic and natural fibers. Furthermore, the textile weave method contributes to shedding rates. Textiles with more exposed filaments and loose structures shed more than knit or woven fabrics. Aging can also increase shedding or reduce it depending on the fabric type. 

If you use a dryer, the microfibers released enter the atmosphere and the environment through the wastewater from washing and rinsing. Whether you hand wash or use a washing machine, your apparel will shed microfibers. Statistics show that a laundry load in a washing machine produces about 700,000 to 7 million microfibers.

An average home in North America releases about 135 g of microfibers yearly from doing the laundry. On a global scale, experts estimate a range of 0.18 to 0.50 million metric tons are released yearly. Most people are unaware of how the detergent increases the microfiber shedding rate. Also, using top-load washers and tumble dryers increases the shedding rates.

Improper disposal of fashion waste

Improper fashion waste disposal also contributes to plastic and chemical pollution in the environment. Microfibers enter the environment because most manufacturers and consumers dispose of synthetic clothes haphazardly. It is bad because synthetic fabrics do not decompose like natural fibers. 

These artificial fabrics spend a long time in the environment, breaking down extremely slowly because of their firm, complex bonds of polymer structure. As time passes, the disposed fabrics break down into tiny particles we know as microfibers, a form of microplastics. There is no definite time for the decomposition of synthetics. It can take 20 to 200 years to break down, taking up space in landfills and dumpsites. 

Wastewater

Industrial and household wastewater is one of the many ways microfibers enter the environment. It becomes a problem when the wastewater doesn't go through wastewater treatment facilities to remove impurities, microfibers, and harmful chemicals before releasing it back into other water sources. 

Remember earlier that microfibers enter the environment during the production processes of microfiber fabric and other synthetic apparel? Well, commercial and industrial wastewater is a part of it. Factories use water to wash and rinse fabrics throughout different stages of production.

The wastewater contains tons of microfibers that, if not treated, contaminate oceans, rivers, and groundwater sources. Untreated wastewater is often used in agricultural irrigation, which spreads microfibers throughout the terrestrial and marine environment. 

Wastewater from the clothes we wash at home also contains microfibers, especially in rural areas that are cleaned by rivers and streams. The river becomes a direct pathway that spreads microfibers around⁴.

Environmental Impacts of Plastic Microfibers

Microfiber Environmental Impact on Marine Ecosystems

Microfibers are prevalent in the world's oceans and other water sources. They are one of the most common types of microplastic pollution found in the marine environment. These microfiber pollutants are from acrylic, polyester, Polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyamide materials that are not appropriately discarded or pieces from the production process that enter the ocean via the wastewater channel.

Microfiber particles exist in various ocean levels, including the surface and subsurface. Their presence is dangerous to marine animals and aquatic plants. The microfibers mix with the marine food chain, and aquatic animals consume them without awareness of their presence. 

Consuming these microfibers can have a range of effects on aquatic organisms⁶. For instance, microfibers, like any other microplastic, have a high absorption rate for organic, inorganic, and mixed pollutants. These microscopic fibers absorb carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfonamides, which threaten the survival of marine animals.

Research has shown that microplastics get stuck in marine organisms' digestive systems, from fish to zooplankton and shrimp. They also affect the endocrine system in adult fish⁹. Some aquatic animals affected by ocean microplastic pollution are penguins, polar bears, fish, sea birds, sea turtles, baleen whales, sperm whales, nematodes, and lobsters.

Microfiber Environmental Impact on the Atmosphere

All plastic pollution impacts the atmosphere, and microfibers are no different. Microfibers released from production processes like spinning, weaving, dyeing, cutting, and sewing, including shedding from use and maintenance, contribute to microfibers in the sky.

The wind is one of the fastest ways microfiber pollution spreads. Dry microfibers are more prone to traveling greater distances in the atmosphere for years. When there are more microfibers in the air, the air quality drops, causing respiratory problems in humans. 

The presence of microfibers in the atmosphere harms animal and human health⁷. Living organisms inhale these particles, causing respiratory problems. Also, the dissolution of the dispersed dyes, UV stabilizers, and degradation products from the microfibers can cause textile dermatitis. It increases the risk of cancer.

The Effects of Tiny Synthetic Fibers on Human Health

Humans are prone to inhaling and ingesting microfibers indoors and outdoors. Research shows that a high amount of microfiber measuring 1550 to 120,000 mg/kg is found in indoor dust. Adults are exposed to 64.1 fibers/kg daily; children's exposure risk is 889 fibers/kg-bw per day.

The study shows that infants and children are 10 times more at risk of daily microfiber exposure because they interact with their surroundings. They crawl around and nibble on their hands, toys, and clothes, which increases microfiber ingestion. Experts have found microfibers in the human bloodstream. 

It is hazardous for factory workers who work directly with textiles. Organic microfibers like cotton and hemp can cause textile workers to experience allergies, respiratory diseases, and byssinosis through inhalation or skin contact. For example, 35.6% of workers in a Pakistan factory suffer from byssinosis because they work in spinning and weaving mills with a higher density of microfiber⁸.

Furthermore, humans consume microfibers throughout the food chain. We eat a lot of seafood that interacts with microfiber in the ocean, consuming the microfiber pollutants the animals consume. Interaction with microfiber pollutants causes cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and low immune response.

Solutions to Reduce Microfiber Pollution

It is necessary to reduce microfibers in the environment because of their adverse effects. Some of the ways you can minimize microfiber pollution are: 

1. Buy only clothing made with organic materials because they decompose quickly and do not harm the environment. Purchasing sustainable fashion items with fewer chemical processes will force businesses to produce environmentally friendly apparel, thus reducing the amount of microfibers in the environment across all stages.
2. Also, reduce microfiber shedding through your washing process. Use cold water instead of hot water, as washing at a high temperature damages the textile and increases shedding rates. Cold water washes are gentler. 
3. Only wash clothes when necessary. Avoid washing synthetic apparel frequently because it increases shedding rates. 
4. Avoid using a top-loader washing machine if possible because it produces more microfiber pollutants than a front-loading machine. Or look out for washing machine manufacturers with the best filtration systems.
5. When using your washing machine, use a laundry bag, throw a laundry ball, or install any kind of microfiber filter.
6. Lastly, a proper wastewater system is necessary in manufacturing factories and households. Correct wastewater treatment carried out at regular intervals reduces the microfiber pollutants in the environment.

Conclusion: Environmental Impact of Microfibers

Environmental science helps us discover factors harming the environment and ways to prevent disaster. Although synthetic and microfiber products have incredible properties, they are not environmentally friendly. So, we should avoid getting items within the synthetic microfiber range.

Use mild chemical cleaners when washing and air out your laundry room to reduce microfiber dust. Green cleaning methods should also be used throughout an item's life cycle to reduce its shedding properties and ensure durability.