Fast fashion, which mimics current runway or social media trends, relies on an extremely short production life cycle, an accelerated supply chain, and the use of synthetic materials such as polyester. As a result, it has a significant environmental impact and intersects with civil engineering in a number of ways, including solid waste management such as landfills, transfer stations, and global waste flows, stormwater systems, wastewater treatment plants, and coastal and watershed protection. As this fashion trend accelerates global textile production and disposal, enormous volumes of low‑quality synthetic garments are entering waste streams, particularly in cities such as Accra, Ghana, where millions of imported second‑hand garments arrive weekly. Researchers Xinyu Xu, Zhi Chen, Zheng Wang, Linxiang Lyu, Xiaohan Yang, and Chunjiang An wanted to understand how sunlight, abrasion, and moisture impact the microplastic release from textiles in natural environments.
This research, outlined in “Unveiling Microplastic Release from Discarded Textiles: A Potential Threat to Aquatic Environments,” is important because most existing studies focus exclusively on microplastics shed during laundering, leaving a critical knowledge gap around pollution caused by discarded clothing. By simulating natural weathering and mixing energy, the study evaluates how common fabrics, especially polyester, nylon, and acrylic, fragment into microplastics once they reach coastal or freshwater environments. The research also supports policy development around textile waste handling and recommends natural‑fiber alternatives in procurement or materials‑management planning. Learn how these findings provide actionable insight into how textile pollution behaves within stormwater systems, landfills, waterways, and coastal zones. Read the full paper in the Journal of Environmental Engineering at https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-8355. The abstract is below.
Abstract
The life cycle of clothing is becoming increasingly shorter due to the rapid growth of fast fashion. Developed countries export tons of clothes to developing nations, particularly in Africa. However, rather than being reused as intended, a significant amount of this clothing ends up discarded on shores and riverbanks, leading to various environmental problems. This study explores the microplastic release from discarded clothes into the water body when exposed under different conditions, assessing their environmental impact. Two commonly used types of synthetic fabrics (polyester and nylon) were selected as representative materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation damaged the fiber surface and released tiny particles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests indicated that UV irradiation leads to the degradation of the polymers that compose the fibers, and cross-linking or chain breaking occurs, leading to the friability of the fibers, resulting in the release of microplastics. However, the short-term UV radiation resulted in a more stable mechanical strength of the nylon fibers due to the cross-linking that occurs. In addition, abrasion from grit and changes in turbulent kinetic energy can rapidly damage fibers, accelerating the release of microplastics from the fabrics. Experimental results demonstrated that nylon textiles were more likely to release microplastics. However, polyester fibers had a greater tendency to release microplastics with increasing turbulent rotational speed. Future research could further investigate the environmental risks associated with microplastic release from discarded clothing.
Read more about the problem and its challenges for solid waste, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure in the ASCE Library: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-8355.
