Each time you wash your clothes in a washing machine, millions of microfibers are released into the water system. Scientists say they're one of the leading causes of plastic pollution in the oceans. (via hereandnow)
“When we first started looking at microplastics in the ocean, we didn't have any idea of what we would find,” he says. “And when we looked under microscopes, we saw a variety of different shapes and sizes and a whole variety of colors, and some of these look like little particles or fragments and others looked like fibers.”
When they first started studying microplastics about six years ago, almost 80% of the particles Ross’ team studied in coastal British Columbia were fibrous, he says. It was scientists’ “first clue” that a source of ocean plastic pollution could be microfibers from textiles and clothing. “There are estimates of anywhere from a few thousand fibers in a single load of laundry to as much as 10 or 12 million fibers per load of laundry,” Ross says. “So the numbers can quickly become rather staggering, and when we start putting all of the lines of evidence together, we are talking about a rather significant problem.”“We all do laundry and most of us have a dryer, and we regularly, routinely clean out the lint trap in our dryers.
“The whole plastic pollution crisis that we find ourselves in today globally is a reflection of our modern day lifestyle. And there are so many different products that take advantage of the plastic economy that we can't simply demonize plastics.
“So there is a lot to be done on the part of many people and groups and agencies, and for the individual consumer, first thing is to be informed.
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