What type of study is this?

This is a Quantitative Study study.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To quantitatively assess microfiber release from 100% polyester fleece during domestic washing processes in Russia.

May 7, 2026Textiles0 citationsOpen Access

National-Scale Quantitative Analysis of PET Microfiber Release from Polyester Fleece Garments During Washing

YFYulia A. FrankNational Research Tomsk State University MSMaria A. SimonovaNational Research Tomsk State University AAAlena A. AbramenkoNational Research Tomsk State University

Key Points

To quantitatively assess microfiber release from 100% polyester fleece during domestic washing processes in Russia.
Analyzed the amount and mass of microfiber released during the washing of new polyester fleece garments.
Compared washing with and without powder detergent in terms of microfiber release.
Conducted repeated washing cycles to observe changes in microfiber characteristics.
First wash with detergent released significantly more microfibers by mass and number than washing without detergent.
After three wash cycles, microfiber mass stabilized at 204.7 mg/kg per cycle with 99% of fragments under 5 mm in size.
Annual release of PET microfibers from fleece washing in Russia estimated at approximately 32 tons.

Abstract

Domestic washing of synthetic textiles represents a significant source of microfiber fragment (MF) release that greatly contributes to microplastic pollution in the environment. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the dominant material in global polyester textile production, leading to the highest MF release. The characteristics and quantities of MFs released during domestic washing of various synthetic fabrics may vary regionally and require a thorough and comprehensive investigation. Research was conducted to assess the number and mass of PET MFs released from new 100% polyester fleece garments washed in Russian realities. The first wash of a new sweatshirt with powder detergent (PD) released significantly more (p < 0.05) PET MFs than washing without detergents, in terms of both mass (5.42 ± 0.58 vs. 2.82 ± 0.42 g kg−1) and number (15.3 ± 1.12 vs. 8.98 ± 2.18 mln items kg−1). Repeated washing of fleece garments with PD led to the release of longer MFs and decreased the mass of PET fiber fragments in effluents. After the third wash cycle, it stabilized at 204.7 mg/kg of dry textile per cycle. Overall, 99% of the fiber fragments were <5 mm long, which corresponds to the size limit for microplastics. Based on the obtained data, the annual release of PET MFs from domestic fleece washing in Russia is estimated at approx. 32 t.

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