Swiss researchers from Bernd Nowack’s group at Empa’s Technology and Society laboratory have joined forces with colleagues from China to examine nanoparticles released from textiles more closely.
Clothing made of synthetic fibres releases microplastics, and those less than 5 millimetres in size can enter the environment unnoticed.
A small proportion of these particles are so small that they are measured in nanometres and are the subject of intensive research because they can be absorbed into the human body.
As of today, however, little is known about their potential toxicity.
Details of the study
The Swiss and Chinese researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Water.
12 different polyester fabrics were washed up to 4 times, and the nanoparticles released in the process were analysed and characterised. The amount of particles released decreases significantly with repeated washes.
It is conceivable that the oligomer particles are created during the textile’s manufacturing or split off from the fibres through chemical processes during storage. Further studies are required in this area.
Nowack and his team are focusing on larger particles for the time being. In their next project, they want to investigate which fibres are released while washing textiles made from renewable raw materials and whether these could harm the environment and health.
