Polyester suits pollute the ocean

2017/06/13 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

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A paper published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology shows that synthetic fabrics are one of the main pollutants of the sea. Every time a polyester garment, like a fleece jacket, is cleaned, 100,000 microfibers are released from the washing machine.

These microfibers are released directly into the sea by escaping filtration systems and when they are already in the ocean they sink easily. Marine living beings easily mix with food, influencing their food and digestion.

The study was conducted by students from the University of California and has sought to encourage further research on the subject. According to them, it would be necessary to investigate how the washing temperature, the use of a long washing cycle, the type of detergents and the methods used for the generation of clothes influence this release of fibers. A call has also been made to improve waste treatment systems.

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