Microplastic emissions from household washing machines: preliminary findings from Greater Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Microplastics have been recognized as emerging pollutants with potential ecotoxicological impact. The contribution of washing machine use to microplastics emission at the household level is still not completely understood. This study aims to characterize microplastic emissions in laundry water from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-04, Vol.28 (15), p.18518-18522
Main Authors: Praveena, Sarva Mangala, Syahira Asmawi, Melati, Chyi, Josephine Liew Ying
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic Pollution
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Developing countries
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Emission analysis
Emissions
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Health
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental science
Households
Laundering
Laundries
Laundry
LDCs
Malaysia
Microplastics
Parameters
Plastic pollution
Plastics
Pollutants
Recent Environmental Geochemical Trends
Textiles
Washers & dryers
Washing machines
Waste Water Technology
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water analysis
Water Management
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollution Control
Water sampling
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Summary:Microplastics have been recognized as emerging pollutants with potential ecotoxicological impact. The contribution of washing machine use to microplastics emission at the household level is still not completely understood. This study aims to characterize microplastic emissions in laundry water from household washing machines from Greater Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Microplastics were found between 6.9E-3 and 0.183 g/m 3 in laundry water at household level. Microplastic shapes of fiber and fragment consist of polyester, nylon, and acrylic with average length of 2258.59 μm and were also identified in these laundry water samples. Questionnaire survey findings demonstrated fabric properties and washing parameters both likely contribute to microplastic emissions in laundry water and, ultimately, wastewater treatment plant influent. The impact of fabric properties and washing parameter factors on microplastic emission in laundry water at the household level merits further investigation. The findings of this study demonstrated the potential of laundry water as a microplastic source at the household level within a developing country.
ISSN:0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/s11356-020-10795-z