Are Our Clothes Polluting the Ocean?

The simple act of machine washing our clothes may be causing serious environmental damage, according to a new study from University College Dublin. A research team led by Dr. Mark Browne has traced a path from washing machine wastewater to abnormally high concentrations of microplastic debris found all over the world. The problem arises because the synthetic fibers that many of today’s clothes are made of, polyester and acrylic, get rinsed by the machine. While we may not notice it, one cycle can strip as much 1,900 fibers off each piece of synthetic clothing! These dangerous fibers eventually make their way to the ocean and wash up on our beaches. Research also shows that the pollutants are eaten by mussels and locusts, which can then work their way up the food chain to humans. As a part of this study Dr. Browne’s team investigated 18 sites on six continents and through forensic analysis was able to match the proportions of polyester and acrylic fiber present in these sites with their proportions in clothing. They also found a correlation between sites with greater-than-average concentrations of microplastics and their exposure to washing machine wastewater. Microplastic debris doesn’t get a lot of attention now in the environmental community, but as the human population grows and synthetic fibers become more commonplace, they have the potential to be a major concern in the future. Since it is likely that any solution to the problem will include standard or experimental methods of wastewater treatment, including filtration (see Flat Sheet Membranes), we’ll continue to look out for possible cures. Read the full study from the ACS Journal of Environmental Science & Technology Learn more about the work of Dr. Browne