Formation of Fiber Fragments during Abrasion of Polyester Textiles

Abstract

Fiber fragments are one of the dominant types of microplastics in environmental samples, suggesting that synthetic textiles are a potential source of microplastics to the environment. Whereas the release of microplastics during washing of textiles is already well studied, much less is known about the release during abrasion processes. The abrasion of textiles may induce fibrillation of fibers and therefore result in the formation of much finer fiber fragments. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of abrasion of synthetic textiles on the formation of microplastic fibers and fibrils. Fleece and interlock textile swatches made of polyester were abraded using abrasion tests with a Martindale tester. The microplastic fibers and fibrils formed during abrasion were extracted from the textiles and characterized in terms of number, length, and diameter. The microplastic fibers demonstrated the same diameter than the fibers found in the textiles (fleece: 12.3 μm; interlock: 12.7 μm), while fibrils with a much smaller diameter (fleece: 2.4 μm; interlock: 4.9 μm) were also found. The number of fibrils formed during abrasion in both textiles was higher than the number of microplastic fibers. The majority of the extracted microplastic fibers had a length between 200 and 800 μm, while most fibrils were between 30 and 150 μm, forming two distinct fiber fragment morphologies. The number of microplastic fibers formed during abrasion was 5 to 30 times higher than the number of microplastic fibers that could be extracted from non-abraded samples. The number of fibrils increased after abrasion by more than a factor of 200 for both fabric types. The fibrils formed during abrasion have diameters that fall within the inhalable size for airborne particles. The potential release of fibrils into air during wear of textiles thus raises questions about the human exposure to these materials. Since the Martindale tester can simulate a daily application scenario of textiles over a prolonged period only in a limited way, future studies are needed to establish the correlation between the test results with a real-world scenario.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2021

“…Microfibres can be generated by fragmentation of textile fibres with or without exposure to solar UV radiation. Textile production processes [192][193][194][195] that involve abrasion [196] and electric dryers [197] as well as domestic laundering of clothes [198][199][200] mechanically generate microfibres in wastewater that reaches the ocean. However, the exposure of fabric to solar UV radiation also contributes to their degradation and fragmentation.…”

Evaluation of fiber and debris release from protective COVID-19 mask textiles and in vitro acute cytotoxicity effects

“…An overall recovery average of 93.4% (mean value of single metal element recoveries, SI Table S7) was found with lowest recovery for Ni (44.5%) and highest recovery for Fe (120.0%). Metal contents of aqueous textile extracts (0.75 g L -1 linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid dissolved in ultrapure deionized water with pH 9.2 according to [9] performed in 50 mL plastic tubes on a Heidolph Polymax 1040 shaker for 60 min. were determined directly without further dilution.…”

“…Although these masks offer promising characteristics in terms of functionality, consumer concerns on their safety raised along with the broad use of facemasks in general [8] . There is evidence that textiles release fibers, particles and debris during use and washing [9] , [10] , [11] . However, little is known about fiber and debris release from facemasks and cotton based textile masks during breathing in particular [7] , [8] .…”

Hybrid Nanofibrous Composites with Anisotropic Mechanics and Architecture for Tendon/Ligament Repair and Regeneration

“…In any model of synthetic grafts, the abrasion of textile fibers derived from yarn‐on‐yarn or yarn‐on‐tissue was a common phenomenon. [ 22 ] For LARS ligament, the intra‐articular component is loose PET fibers. During flexural and torsional movements, fiber‐to‐fiber abrasion occurs to deteriorate the fatigue resistance, resulting in fiber axial splitting and graft failure.…”