Published in PLOS ONE · View the paper (DOI)
Researchers estimate 5.6 million metric tonnes of synthetic microfibers emitted from apparel washing between 1950 and 2016, with half generated in the last decade alone. The fibers accumulate in wastewater treatment sludge, posing a terrestrial pollution issue.
Coverage from 2 institutions
- The persistence of plastic University of California - Santa Barbara · Sep 16, 2020 · first to report
- Synthetic clothing fibers contribute vast amounts of plastic pollution on land PLOS · Sep 16, 2020