Synthetic fibers as microplastics in the marine environment: A review from textile perspective with a focus on domestic washings

Flavia Salvador Cesa a,*, Alexander Turra b, Julia Baruque-Ramos a a University of São Paulo, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, Av. Arlindo Bettio, 1000, 03828-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil b University of São Paulo, Oceanographic Institute, Praca do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil   H I G H L I G H…

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Microfiber release from clothes after washing: Hard facts, figures and promising solutions

Position Paper, May 2017 MERMAIDS Consortium Plastic Soup Foundation Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IPCB and ISMAC) Polysistec Leitat Technological Center Ocean Clean Wash Introduction The American Captain Charles Moore made a shocking discovery in 1997 when sailing the Pacific Ocean. In the middle of the ocean, thousands of miles away from civilization, he found plastic…

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Quantifying microplastic pollution on sandy beaches: the conundrum of large sample variability and spatial heterogeneity

Mara Fisner1 & Alessandra P. Majer1,2 & Danilo Balthazar-Silva1,3 & Daniel Gorman1 & Alexander Turra1 Received: 21 September 2016 / Accepted: 20 March 2017 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017 Abstract Despite the environmental risks posed by microplastic pollution, there are presently few standardized protocols for monitoring these materials within marine and coastal habitats. We provide a…

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Sustainable cleaning with soil release polymers

Abstract Effective, efficient and more environmentally-compatible cleaning of synthetic fabrics is more important now than ever before. This article explores some of the benefits offered by the newest generation of soil release polymers for polyester-containing garments and their potential role in making laundry detergents and the laundering process more sustainable. KEYWORDS: Soil release polymer, soil…

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Water and Energy Consumption in Domestic Laundering Worldwide – A Review

Water and Energy Consumption in Domestic Laundering Worldwide – A Review Henk Gooijer1 and Rainer Stamminger2 1 TKT, Ophemert, the Netherlands 2 Universität Bonn, Institut fur Landtechnik, Household and Appliance Technology Section, Bonn, Germany   A literature review was executed to collect data on the resource consumption connected to domestic laundering processes. Data from literature on…

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‘LOGISTICS & OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT ANNO 2015 AND BEYOND…’

Index Introduction: transition in logistics and operational management The Roadmap 2030 – here’s the story Mass customisation: about customisation Supply chain: changing positions Technology: tangible applications for textile service Urban distribution: innovation in logistical concepts Green Deal SIX: electrical distribution Conclusion   1. Introduction: transition in logistics and operational management   Textile service is changing…

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Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms

M. L. Taylor[1], C. Gwinnett2, L. F. Robinson3 & L. C. Woodall1,4   1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. 2Department of Forensic and Crime Science, Staffordshire University, Stoke-On-Trent ST4 2DF, UK. 3School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK. 4Department of Life Sciences,…

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Microfiber Masses Recovered from Conventional Machine Washing of New or Aged Garments

Niko L. Hartline, Nicholas J. Bruce, Stephanie N. Karba, Elizabeth O. Ruff, Shreya U. Sonar, and Patricia A. Holden* Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States   ABSTRACT Synthetic textiles can shed numerous microfibers during conventional washing, but evaluating environmental consequences as well as source-control strategies…

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