Polyester Textiles as a Source of Microplastics from Households: A Mechanistic Study to Understand Microfiber Release During Washing

Edgar Hernandez,† Bernd Nowack,† and Denise M. Mitrano*,†,‡ †Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland ‡Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Process Engineering, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland   ABSTRACT Microplastic fibers make up a large proportion of microplastics found…

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Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: a Global Evaluation of Sources

Authors: Julien Boucher, Damien Friot The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or…

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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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