Microplastic Fibers in the Environment

Microplastic Fibers in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Impacts, and Mitigation examines how plastic fibers are generated, measured, transported, and managed across the textile life cycle. It explains shedding during laundering, drying, and daily use, alongside industrial releases and pathways through wastewater, sludge, air, soils, rivers, and oceans. Sampling and analytical methods are discussed with particular attention to contamination control, polymer identification, size limits, and the interpretation of fiber counts, dimensions, and mass. The book evaluates aquatic and terrestrial biological responses, human exposure, and associated chemicals, distinguishing fiber-specific findings from broader microplastic evidence and unresolved health risks. Mitigation options include low-shedding textile design, filtration, wastewater treatment, material innovation, circularity, and policy instruments, with attention to maintenance and the management of captured residues. Case studies address controlled laundering, laundry-wastewater measurement, emission modeling, bivalve exposure, and the implementation challenges of French washing-machine legislation. Written for environmental researchers, postgraduate students, ecologists, and engineers, the book supports the design of measurements, interpretation of evidence, and evaluation of mitigation options

• Explains fiber shedding during laundering and daily use, together with sampling, polymer identification, and quantitative analysis, including measurement limitations and uncertainty
• Examines transport and retention across water, soils, sediments, and air, and critically evaluates evidence on biological effects, human exposure, and potential health risks
• Assesses textile design, filtration, wastewater treatment, circularity, and policy options through case studies that distinguish measured performance, modeling assumptions, and implementation challenges