8
S. Raja Balasaraswathi and R. Rathinamoorthy
The higher number of microfibers in the effluents of dyeing and printing industries
than those found in the municipal sewage plants [20] shows the dominant role of the
production process of textiles in the microfiber shedding.
3.2 Consumption Stage
In the consumption stage of textile materials, wearing and maintenance of garments
and apparels are common. As a consequence of wearing apparel, the microfibers
are directly released into the atmosphere. While wearing the garments, they are
subjected to considerable stress and abrasion that can cause damage to the textile
materials. Researchers have studied the release of microfibers into the air as the
result of wearing the garments. They have reported that the emission of microfibers
due to wearing varies concerning various textile parameters [12]. Another study
has been made to analyze the microfibers in the atmosphere by sampling outdoors
at different time frames. They have reported that the quantity of microfibers in the
atmosphere varies with various factors including consumption habits, socioeconomic
status, traffic, and urbanization. They have also noticed a significant variation in the
fibers including cotton, wool, acrylic, polyester, and polyamides at different time
frames. With that, they have concluded that the variation in the clothing requirements
in different seasons can attribute to the varied fibers in the atmosphere [16].
Washing is the most common maintenance done for apparel. Washing is usually
carried out during the consumption stage to clean and remove dirt and stains.
Domestic laundering is considered to be the major source of microplastic fibers
in the environment [28]. Generally, in the washing process, the fabrics are saturated with water and then agitation is done in the presence of additives that can aid
the dirt removal. Then, the fabrics will be squeezed and dried. In the viewpoint of
textile technologists, it is very similar to the mild scouring process done in the wet
processing of textiles [33]. During washing, the fabrics are subjected to considerable
mechanical (agitation) and chemical actions (detergents and other additives). About
90% of damage to the textiles is caused during washing than wearing which leads
to shedding [28]. Domestic laundering accounts for 34.8% of microplastics in the
environment [4]. A report has estimated that Australia which is having less than 1%
of total washing machines in the world could release nearly 62 kgs of microfibers per
week [28]. Around 18,000,000 microfibers (synthetic fibers) can be released as an
average from a domestic wash load of 6 kg of synthetic textiles [34]. Since domestic
laundry contributes more to the microfiber pollution, various studies have been made
in the essence of analyzing the different washing parameters like washing machine
type [29], washing duration [22], washing temperature [23], water volume [35], and
additives like detergent and softeners [21, 28] on the number of microfibers that are
shedding from the textiles and apparels during laundry. Figure 5 represents the life
cycle of microplastic from apparel and textiles.
S. Raja Balasaraswathi and R. Rathinamoorthy
The higher number of microfibers in the effluents of dyeing and printing industries
than those found in the municipal sewage plants [20] shows the dominant role of the
production process of textiles in the microfiber shedding.
3.2 Consumption Stage
In the consumption stage of textile materials, wearing and maintenance of garments
and apparels are common. As a consequence of wearing apparel, the microfibers
are directly released into the atmosphere. While wearing the garments, they are
subjected to considerable stress and abrasion that can cause damage to the textile
materials. Researchers have studied the release of microfibers into the air as the
result of wearing the garments. They have reported that the emission of microfibers
due to wearing varies concerning various textile parameters [12]. Another study
has been made to analyze the microfibers in the atmosphere by sampling outdoors
at different time frames. They have reported that the quantity of microfibers in the
atmosphere varies with various factors including consumption habits, socioeconomic
status, traffic, and urbanization. They have also noticed a significant variation in the
fibers including cotton, wool, acrylic, polyester, and polyamides at different time
frames. With that, they have concluded that the variation in the clothing requirements
in different seasons can attribute to the varied fibers in the atmosphere [16].
Washing is the most common maintenance done for apparel. Washing is usually
carried out during the consumption stage to clean and remove dirt and stains.
Domestic laundering is considered to be the major source of microplastic fibers
in the environment [28]. Generally, in the washing process, the fabrics are saturated with water and then agitation is done in the presence of additives that can aid
the dirt removal. Then, the fabrics will be squeezed and dried. In the viewpoint of
textile technologists, it is very similar to the mild scouring process done in the wet
processing of textiles [33]. During washing, the fabrics are subjected to considerable
mechanical (agitation) and chemical actions (detergents and other additives). About
90% of damage to the textiles is caused during washing than wearing which leads
to shedding [28]. Domestic laundering accounts for 34.8% of microplastics in the
environment [4]. A report has estimated that Australia which is having less than 1%
of total washing machines in the world could release nearly 62 kgs of microfibers per
week [28]. Around 18,000,000 microfibers (synthetic fibers) can be released as an
average from a domestic wash load of 6 kg of synthetic textiles [34]. Since domestic
laundry contributes more to the microfiber pollution, various studies have been made
in the essence of analyzing the different washing parameters like washing machine
type [29], washing duration [22], washing temperature [23], water volume [35], and
additives like detergent and softeners [21, 28] on the number of microfibers that are
shedding from the textiles and apparels during laundry. Figure 5 represents the life
cycle of microplastic from apparel and textiles.