Plastic debris of less than 1 mm in size is accumulating in marine habitats. Ingestion of microplastic provides a potential pathway for the transfer of pollutants, monomers, and plastic-additives to organisms with uncertain consequences for their health. Some researchers believe washing machines may be responsible for much of the distribution of these particles. |
Scientists
are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source
of so-called “microplastic” pollution—bits of polyester and acrylic
smaller than the head of a pin—that they now have detected on ocean
shorelines worldwide. Their report describing this potentially harmful
material appears in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Mark
Browne and colleagues explain that the accumulation of microplastic
debris in marine environments has raised health and safety concerns. The
bits of plastic contain potentially harmful ingredients which go into
the bodies of animals and could be transferred to people who consume
fish. Ingested microplastic can transfer and persist into their cells
for months. How big is the problem of microplastic contamination? Where
are these materials coming from? To answer those questions, the
scientists looked for microplastic contamination along 18 coasts around
the world and did some detective work to track down a likely source of
this contamination.
They
found more microplastic on shores in densely populated areas, and
identified an important source—wastewater from household washing
machines. They point out that more than 1,900 fibers can rinse off of a
single garment during a wash cycle, and these fibers look just like the
microplastic debris on shorelines. The problem, they say, is likely to
intensify in the future, and the report suggests solutions: “Designers
of clothing and washing machines should consider the need to reduce the
release of fibers into wastewater and research is needed to develop
methods for removing microplastic from sewage.”
The authors acknowledge funding from Leverhulme Trust, EICC (University of Sydney) and Hornsby Shire Council.
Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks
