Textile microfiber found in southern European waters

According to research, the textile microfibers found in the southern European seabed are mainly natural and regenerated fibers, such as cotton and tantalum fibers. About one-fifth of the particles accumulate in the high seas and the depth exceeds 2000 meters.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Barcelona, ​​found the presence of textile microfibers in the area stretching from the Cantabrian Sea to the Black Sea. They analyzed the number of these fibers, between 3-8 mm in length but less than 0.1 mm in diameter, mainly from household and industrial washing machines.

The results show that the main cellulose fibers are more than synthetic polymers, and it is emphasized that the microfibers are transported and accumulated in the ocean cavities through several ocean currents.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona and published in the scientific journal PlosOne, Anna Sánchez Vidal, William PdeHaan and Miquel Canals stressed: "These synthetic microfibers are made of plastic, which do not decompose quickly and may contain chemical additives, which is easy. The ground is mixed into the food chain."

The study pointed out that the main types of microfibers they found on the seabed were natural cellulose (cotton and linen) and regenerated cellulose (rayon or rayon), mainly from ready-to-wear and industrial textiles.

Microfibers are one of the most common microplastics in the marine environment, and so far intensive research has not been done on a large scale. The researchers analyzed 42 samples from the 29 sites in Southern Europe and 3500 m deep soil samples. The results showed that higher density fiber accumulation was found in the Cantabrian Sea, followed by the Catalan Sea. (Catalanseas) and the Alboran Sea, while lower density fiber accumulation was found in the western Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Anna Sánchez Vidal of the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics said: “The textile microfibers seem to be concentrated at the bottom of the submarine canyon, while the number on the slopes is significantly reduced. This suggests that the microfibers may come from the land (using a washing machine can discharge up to 70 Ten thousand microfibers are in the waste water), which accumulate on the ocean platform and carry it to the depths of the ocean canyon through the circulation of natural ocean currents.

The results of this study confirm previous studies to detect ultrafine fibers in deepwater organisms in the natural environment.

Sánchez Vidal concluded that the researchers hope that the study will help to establish effective management practices to reduce the microfibers that have a negative impact on marine ecosystems. “The textile industry needs research and innovation. Washing machines require effective filter design, wastewater treatment and promotion of sustainable issues in the garment industry.”

The fashion industry is the main cause of plastic pollution, and a large amount of microfiber is discharged into the sea through the washing machine every year. These fibers are small and can pass through wastewater treatment facilities and eventually enter the food chain when swallowed by small marine organisms.

A recent study in Sweden to try to solve this problem, including the investment of three brands including H&M, promoted a standardized test method suitable for measuring the shedding of microfibers in the garment washing process. Asda has become the first retail supermarket to join the MicrofibrerConsortium program, which is looking to reduce the environmental impact of microplastics.

The Antarctic also found contamination of textile microfibers, and the British government launched a microplastics research project to analyze the impact of ready-to-wear on the marine environment.