SpringerLink
Log in

Water Consumption and Microfibers: The Biggest Threat

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Climate Action Through Eco-Friendly Textiles

Part of the book series: SDGs and Textiles ((SDGT))

  • 115 Accesses

Abstract

The textile industry is one of the top industries that use enormous amounts of water. Water is used extensively throughout textile wet processing operations contributing to the release of industrial wastewater. It is becoming critically essential for textile operations to secure a cost-effective and reliable water supply. To lessen the water footprint, the use of supercritical fluids and an ultrasound-assisted method has also been explored in the textile manufacturing process. The potential of plasma technology, laser finishing, UV radiation treatment, gamma (Y) ray irradiation, and ozone application to enhance functional and aesthetic finishing, such as dyeing and hydrophilic and hydrophobic finishing, has been the focus of numerous research efforts recently. Microfiber pollution is also another big threat to biodiversity from the textile sector. Washing clothes annually releases 50 billion pounds of plastic into the ocean or around 500,000 tonnes of microfibers. Due to fast fashion and the rise in population, textile production and consumption of cheap fabrics made of synthetic fibers have increased. It has been estimated that up to 35% of the primary source microplastics in the marine environment come from synthetic clothing. Natural fibers also contribute to microfiber pollution, but it is biodegradable and has minimal environmental impact. However, traces of chemicals and dyes may present in natural and semi-synthetic microfibers which are equally problematic contaminants. In recent studies, microfibers have been reported in freshwater and marine environments and even in several products for human consumption including tap water, beer common salt, and seafood. Hence, microfiber pollution becomes a serious threat to the environment and it needs to be addressed. Research on the scope of impacts, ecological implications, and potential health effects of microfibers on humans is required. The chapter also provides insight into microfiber pollution, threats, and management strategies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Samanta KK, Gayatri TN, Saxena S, Basak S, Chattopadhyay SK, Arputharaj A, Prasad V (2016) Hydrophobic functionalization of cellulosic substrates using atmospheric pressure plasma. Cellulose Chem Technol 50:745–754

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hasanbeigi A, Price L (2015) A technical review of emerging technologies for energy and water efficiency and pollution reduction in the textile industry. J Clean Prod 95:30–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. https://textilelearner.net/water-consumption-in-textile-processing-industry/

  4. Shaikh H, Ayaz AM (2009) Water conservation in textile industry. Pak Text J 6:48–51

    Google Scholar 

  5. Saxena S, Raja ASM, Arputharaj A (2017) Challenges in sustainable wet processing of textiles. Textiles and clothing sustainability. Springer, Singapore, pp 43–79

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Shukla SR (2007) Pollution abatement and waste minimisation in textile dyeing. In: Environmental aspects of textile dyeing. Woodhead, pp 116–148

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ahmed K, Das M, Islam MM, Akter MM, Islam MS, Al-Mansur MA (2011) Physico-chemical properties of tannery and textile effluents and surface water of River Buriganga and Karnatoli, Bangladesh. World Appl Sci J 12:152–159

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lakshmanan OS, Raghavendran G (2017) Low water-consumption technologies for textile production. In: Sustainable fibres and textiles. The textile institute book series, pp 243–265

    Google Scholar 

  9. Raichurkar P, Ramachandran M (2015) Effluent generated from the textile process industries. Int J Text Eng Proc 1:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sheshama M, Khatri H, Suthar M, Basak S, Ali W (2017) Carbohyd Polym 175:257–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Teli MD, Pandit P, Basak S (2017) Coconut shell extract imparting multifunction properties to ligno-cellulosic material. J Indus Text 24:98–105

    Google Scholar 

  12. Teli MD, Pandit P (2017) Novel method of ecofriendly single bath dyeing and functional finishing of wool protein with coconut shell extract biomolecules. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 5:8323–8333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Basak S, Patil PG, Shaikh AJ, Samanta KK (2016) Green coconut shell extract and boric acid: new formulation for making thermally stable cellulosic paper. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 91:2871–2890

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rahman NAA, Tajuddin R, Tumin SM (2013) Optimization of natural dyeing using ultrasonic method and biomordant. Int J Chem Eng Appl 4:205–210

    Google Scholar 

  15. Basak S, Ali SW (2017) Leveraging flame retardant efficacy of the pomegranate rind extract, a novel biomolecule on lingo-cellulosic materials. Polym Degrad Stab 144:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Basak S, Samanta KK, Chattopadhyay SK, Das S, Bhowmik M, Narkar R (2014) Fire retardant and mosquito repellent jute fabric treated with thio-urea. J Text Assoc 74:273–280

    Google Scholar 

  17. Al-Etaibi AM, El-Apasery MA (2021) Ultrasonic dyeing of polyester fabric with azo disperse dyes clubbed with pyridonones and its UV protection performance. Chemis 3:889–895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gupta D, Basak S (2010) Surface functionalization of wool using 172 nm UV Excimer lamp. J Appl Polym Sci 117:3448–3453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Basak S, Samanta KK, Chattopadhyay SK, Pandit P, Maiti S (2016) Green fire retardant finishing and combined dyeing of proteinous wool fabric. Color Technol 132:135–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Samanta KK, Pandit P, Samanta P, Basak P (2019) Water consumption in textile processing and sustainable approaches for its conservation. In: Water in textiles and fashion, pp 41–59

    Google Scholar 

  21. Das S, Bhowmick M, Chattopadhyay SK, Basak S (2015) Application of biomimicry in textiles. Curr Sci 109:893–901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Yang Y, Li S (2003) Cotton fabric inkjet printing with acid dyes. Text Res J 73:809–814

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hee U, Freche M, Kluge M, Provost J, Weiser J (2004) Ink jet interactions in ink jet printing-the role of pre-treatments, Textile ink jet printing—a review of ink jet printing of textiles. Society of Dyers and colourists Technical Monograph, 7, pp 44–56

    Google Scholar 

  24. Basak S, Samanta KK, Saxena S, Chattopadhyay SK, Parmar MS (2017) Self-extinguishable cellulosic textile from Spinacia oleracea. Ind J Fibre Text Res 42:215–222

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Mishra S, Rath CC, Das AP (2019) Marine microfiber pollution: a review on present status and future challenges. Mar Pollut Bull 140:188–197

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Laitala K, Klepp IG, Henry B (2018) Does use matter? Comparison of environmental impacts of clothing based on fiber type. Sustainability 10:1–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Carr SA (2017) Sources and dispersive modes of micro-fibers in the environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 13:466–469

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Remy F, Collard F, Gilbert B, Compère P, Eppe G, Lepoint G (2015) When microplastic is not plastic: the ingestion of artificial cellulose fibers by macrofauna living in seagrass macrophytodetritus. Environ Sci Technol 49:11158–11166

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Boucher J, Friot D (2017) Primary microplastics in the oceans: a global evaluation of sources. Gland, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  30. Gong J, Kong T, Li Y, Li Q, Li Z, Zhang J (2018) Biodegradation of microplastic derived from poly (ethylene terephthalate) with bacterial whole-cell biocatalysts. Polymers 10:1326

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Liu J, Zhao X, Yang Y (2019) Beyond the definition of microfiber pollution is the debate over microfiber sources international concerns about since the official report about marine microplastics. AATCC Rev 19:49–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Stanton T, Johnson M, Nathanail P, MacNaughtan W, Gomes RL (2019) Freshwater and airborne textile fibre populations are dominated by ‘natural’, not microplastic, fibres. Sci Total Environ 666:377–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Henry B, Laitala K, Klepp IG (2019) Microfibres from apparel and home textiles: prospects for including microplastics in environmental sustainability assessment. Sci Total Environ 652:483–494

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Bhatt P, Rani A (2022) Impact of microfibre pollution on the environment. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/9428/impact-of-microfibre-pollution-on-the-environment

  35. Chinglenthoiba Ch, Pukhrambam B, Chanu KTh, Devi Kh, Meitei NJ, Devika Y, Valiyaveettil S (2023) A review on microplastic pollution research in India. Region Stud Mar Sci:102777

    Google Scholar 

  36. Browne MA, Crump P, Niven SJ, Teuten E, Tonkin A, Galloway T, Thompson R (2011) Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines worldwide: sources and sinks. Environ Sci Technol 45:9175–9179

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Pope M (2020) What you should know about microfiber pollution. https://www.neefusa.org/story/water/what-you-should-know-about-microfiber-pollution

  38. Basak S (2023) India and microplastics: redefining India’s one of the most crucial environmental problems. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/scientifically-trended/india-and-microplastics-redefining-indias-one-of-the-most-crucial-environmental-problems/

  39. Steer M, Cole M, Thompson RC, Lindeque PK (2017) Microplastic ingestion in fish larvae in the western English Channel. Environ Poll 226:250–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Liebezeit G, Liebezeit E (2014) Synthetic particles as contaminants in German beers. Food Addit Contam Part A 31:1574–1578

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Yang D, Shi H, Li L, Li J, Jabeen K, Kolandhasamy P (2015) Microplastic pollution in table salts from China. Environ Sci Technol 49:13622–13627

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Karami A, Golieskardi A, Keong Choo C, Larat V, Galloway TS, Salamatinia B (2017) The presence of microplastics in commercial salts from different countries. Sci Rep 7:1–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Zambrano MC, Pawlak JJ, Daystar J, Ankeny M, Cheng JJ, Venditti RA (2019) Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar Poll Bull 142:394–407

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Palacios-Mateo C, Van der Meer Y, Seide G (2021) Analysis of the polyester clothing value chain to identify key intervention points for sustainability. Environ Sci Europe 33(1):2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Gewert B, Plassmann M, Sandblom O, MacLeod M (2018) Identification of chain scission products released to water by plastic exposed to ultraviolet light. Environ Sci Technol Lett 5:272–276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Sánchez C (2020) Fungal potential for the degradation of petroleum-based polymers: an overview of macro-and microplastics biodegradation. Biotechnol Adv 40:107501

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Gaylarde C, Baptista-Neto JA, da Fonseca EM (2021) Plastic microfibre pollution: how important is clothes’ laundering? Heliyon 7(5)

    Google Scholar 

  48. Liu J, Liu Q, An L, Wang M, Yang Q, Zhu B, Xu Y (2022) Microfiber pollution in the earth system. Rev Environ Contamina Toxico 260:13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Shirvanimoghaddam K, Motamed B, Ramakrishna S, Naebe M (2020) Death by waste: fashion and textile circular economy case. Sci Tot Environ 718:137317

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Bucknall DG (2020) Plastics as a materials system in a circular economy. Philos Trans R Soc A 378:20190268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Cao Y, Qu Y, Guo L (2022) Identifying critical eco-innovation practices in circular supply chain management: evidence from the textile and clothing industry. Inter J Logis Res Appl:1–22

    Google Scholar 

  52. Sandin G, Peters GM (2018) Environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling–a review. J Clean Prod 184:353–365

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. ISO (2021a) Textiles and textile products—Microplastics from textile sources—Part 1: Determination of material loss from fabrics during washing. https://www.iso.org/standard/82238.html

  54. ISO (2021b) Textiles and textile products—Microplastics from textile sources—Part 2: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of microplastics. https://www.iso.org/standard/80011.html

  55. ISO (2021c) Textiles and textile products—microplastics from textile sources—Part 3: Measurement of collected material mass released from textile end products by domestic washing method. https://www.iso.org/standard/81035.html

  56. Simon N, Raubenheimer K, Urho N, Unger S, Azoulay D, Farrelly T, Weiand L (2021) A binding global agreement to address the life cycle of plastics. Sci 373:43–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Hale RC, Seeley ME, La Guardia MJ, Mai L, Zeng EY (2020) A global perspective on microplastics. J Geophy Res Oceans 125:14719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Acharya S, Rumi SS, Hu Y, Abidi N (2021) Microfibers from synthetic textiles as a major source of microplastics in the environment: a review. Text Res J 91:2136–2156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Volgare M, Avolio R, Castaldo R, Errico E, El Khiar H, Gentile G, Sinjur A, Susni D, Znidarsic A, Cocca M (2022) Microfiber contamination in potable water: detection and mitigation using a filtering device. Microplas. 1:322–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Mondal I, Ghosh D, Biswas PK (2023) Cost-effective remedial to microfiber pollution from wash effluent in Kolkata and Ranaghat. Chemosphere 313:137548

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Rathinamoorthy R, Raja BS (2021) A review of the current status of microfiber pollution research in textiles. Int J Cloth Sci Technol 33:364–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Briain OÓ, Mendes ARM, McCarron S, Healy MG, Morrison L (2020) The role of wet wipes and sanitary towels as a source of white microplastic fibres in the marine environment. Water Res 182:116021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Periyasamy AP, Tehrani-Bagha A (2022) A review on microplastic emission from textile materials and its reduction techniques. Polym Degrad Stab 199:109901

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Apparel and Textile Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, India

    Oinam Roselyn Devi

  2. Department of Textile and Apparel Designing, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India

    Laimayum Jogeeta Devi

Authors
  1. Oinam Roselyn Devi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laimayum Jogeeta Devi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oinam Roselyn Devi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fashion Design, School of Arts and Design, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    Sadhna

  2. Department of Fashion Design, School of Arts and Design, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    Rajesh Kumar

  3. Department of Fashion Design, School of Arts and Design, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

    S. Greeshma

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Devi, O.R., Devi, L.J. (2024). Water Consumption and Microfibers: The Biggest Threat. In: Sadhna, Kumar, R., Greeshma, S. (eds) Climate Action Through Eco-Friendly Textiles. SDGs and Textiles. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9856-2_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation