Microfiber shedding from nonwoven materials including wipes and meltblown nonwovens in air and water environments.

Nonwoven products are widely used in disposable products, such as wipes, diapers, and masks. Microfibers shed from these products in the aquatic and air environment have not been fully described. In the present study, 15 commercial single-use nonwoven products (wipes) and 16 meltblown nonwoven materials produced in a pilot plant were investigated regarding their microfiber generation in aquatic and air environments and compared to selected textile materials and paper tissue materials. Microfibers shed in water were studied using a Launder Ometer equipment (1-65 mg of microfibers per gram material), and microfibers shed in air were evaluated using a dusting testing machine that shakes a piece of the nonwoven back and forth (~ 4 mg of microfibers per gram material). The raw materials and bonding technologies affected the microfiber generation both in water and air conditions. When the commercial nonwovens contained less natural cellulosic fibers, less microfibers were generated. Bonding with hydroentangling and/or double bonding by two different bonding methods could improve the resistance to microfiber generation. Meltblown nonwoven fabrics generated fewer microfibers compared to the other commercial nonwovens studied here, and the manufacturing factors, such as DCD (die-to-collector distance) and air flow rate, affected the tendency of microfiber generation. The results suggest that it is possible to control the tendency of microfiber shedding through the choice of operating parameters during nonwoven manufacturing processes.

Impact of dyes and finishes on the aquatic biodegradability of cotton textile fibers and microfibers released on laundering clothes: Correlations between enzyme adsorption and activity and biodegradation rates.

The presence and biodegradability of textile microfibers shed during laundering or use is an important environmental issue. In this research, the influence of common textile finishes on the persistence of cotton fibers in an aerobic aquatic environment was assessed. The biodegradation of cotton knitted fabrics with different finishes, silicone softener, durable press, water repellent, and a blue reactive dye was evaluated. The rate of biodegradation decreased with durable press and water repellant finishing treatments. In terms of the final extent of biodegradation, there was no significant difference between the samples. All samples reached more than 60% biodegradation in 102 days. The biodegradation rates were in agreement with observed trends of the same samples for cellulase mediated hydrolysis and cellulase adsorption experiments, indicating the finishes impact the initial adsorption of enzymes excreted by the microorganisms and the initial rates of biodegradation, however despite this the cellulosic material maintains its biodegradability.

Impact of dyes and finishes on the microfibers released on the laundering of cotton knitted fabrics.

The influence of common textile finishes on cotton fabrics on the generation of microfibers during laundering was assessed. Microfiber release was determined to be in the range of 9000-14,000 particles per gram of cotton fabric. Cotton knitted fabrics treated with softener and durable press generate more microfibers (1.30-1.63 mg/g fabric) during laundering by mass and number than untreated fabric (0.73 mg/g fabric). The fabrics treated with softener generated the longest average microfiber length (0.86 mm), whereas durable press and water repellent treatments produced the shortest average microfiber length (0.62 and 0.63 mm, respectively). In general, the changes in the mechanical properties of the fibers and fabrics due to the finishing treatments are the main factor affecting the microfiber release. The abrasion resistance of the fabrics decreases for durable press treatments and water repellent treatments due to the brittleness in the structure originated by the crosslinking treatment. In the case of the softener treatment, the fabric surface is soft and smooth decreasing the friction coefficient between fibers favoring the fibers loosening from the textile and resulting in a high tendency for fuzz formation and microfiber release. These findings are useful for the textile industry in the design and selection of materials and treatments for the reduction of synthetic or natural microfiber shedding from textiles.

Aerobic biodegradation in freshwater and marine environments of textile microfibers generated in clothes laundering: Effects of cellulose and polyester-based microfibers on the microbiome.

The aerobic biodegradation of common textiles that shed microfibers during laundering was evaluated under the action of microbes found in the environment, such as lake and seawater, and activated sludge at a low concentration from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Under these conditions, the biodegradation potential was the same in all the experiments: Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) > Cotton > Rayon > Polyester/Cotton â‰« Polyester. Nevertheless, for cotton and rayon yarns, >70% biodegradation was achieved with activated sludge at low concentration and lake water, whereas in seawater, about 50% degradation was reached. Polyester did not appreciably degrade. The biodegradation results herein indicate potential not absolutes in nature. The bacterial diversity analyses in the different biodegradation inoculums show that there are distinct bacterial communities related to the assimilation and mineralization of complex carbohydrates that were promoted with the cellulosic MCC, cotton, and rayon samples different than the polyester sample.

Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation.

The effect of fiber type (cotton, polyester, and rayon), temperature, and use of detergent on the number of microfibers released during laundering of knitted fabrics were studied during accelerated laboratory washing (Launder-Ometer) and home laundering experiments. Polyester and cellulose-based fabrics all shed significant amounts of microfibers and shedding levels were increased with higher water temperature and detergent use. Cellulose-based fabrics released more microfibers (0.2-4 mg/g fabric) during accelerated laundering than polyester (0.1-1 mg/g fabric). Using well-controlled aquatic biodegradation experiments it was shown that cotton and rayon microfibers are expected to degrade in natural aquatic aerobic environments whereas polyester microfibers are expected to persist in the environment for long periods of time.