Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health
The rapid production and disposal of synthetic textiles, driven by fast fashion and overconsumption, contribute significantly to environmental pollution and human health risks. Functional finishes often contain toxic substances that leach into aquatic systems. Laundering and abrasion release micropl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Textiles |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/2/21 |
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| author | Adelaide Parks Lovett Leslie Browning-Samoni Charles Freeman |
| author_facet | Adelaide Parks Lovett Leslie Browning-Samoni Charles Freeman |
| author_sort | Adelaide Parks Lovett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid production and disposal of synthetic textiles, driven by fast fashion and overconsumption, contribute significantly to environmental pollution and human health risks. Functional finishes often contain toxic substances that leach into aquatic systems. Laundering and abrasion release microplastic fibers (MPFs), commonly called microplastics, and anthropogenic microfibers (MFs) which degrade into nanoplastics (NPs) through mechanical stress, heat, and UV radiation. These particles bypass wastewater treatment and accumulate in human organs, including the liver, lungs, and brain. This review highlights the limitations of current waste management systems, the role of textile design in particle release, and the need for further research on airborne emissions and environmental interactions. Mitigating textile-derived plastic pollution will require biodegradable finishes, pre-consumer filtration systems, and circular consumption models supported by interdisciplinary collaboration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-873f3f032ef64c808293aa2b1802dea0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-7248 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Textiles |
| spelling | doaj-art-873f3f032ef64c808293aa2b1802dea02025-08-20T03:29:47ZengMDPI AGTextiles2673-72482025-06-01522110.3390/textiles5020021Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human HealthAdelaide Parks Lovett0Leslie Browning-Samoni1Charles Freeman2Department of Fashion Merchandising, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USADepartment of Fashion Merchandising, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USADepartment of Fashion Merchandising, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USAThe rapid production and disposal of synthetic textiles, driven by fast fashion and overconsumption, contribute significantly to environmental pollution and human health risks. Functional finishes often contain toxic substances that leach into aquatic systems. Laundering and abrasion release microplastic fibers (MPFs), commonly called microplastics, and anthropogenic microfibers (MFs) which degrade into nanoplastics (NPs) through mechanical stress, heat, and UV radiation. These particles bypass wastewater treatment and accumulate in human organs, including the liver, lungs, and brain. This review highlights the limitations of current waste management systems, the role of textile design in particle release, and the need for further research on airborne emissions and environmental interactions. Mitigating textile-derived plastic pollution will require biodegradable finishes, pre-consumer filtration systems, and circular consumption models supported by interdisciplinary collaboration.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/2/21fashiontextilespollutionplasticsmicroplasticsnanoplastics |
| spellingShingle | Adelaide Parks Lovett Leslie Browning-Samoni Charles Freeman Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health Textiles fashion textiles pollution plastics microplastics nanoplastics |
| title | Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health |
| title_full | Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health |
| title_fullStr | Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health |
| title_short | Fashion to Dysfunction: The Role of Plastic Pollution in Interconnected Systems of the Environment and Human Health |
| title_sort | fashion to dysfunction the role of plastic pollution in interconnected systems of the environment and human health |
| topic | fashion textiles pollution plastics microplastics nanoplastics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/2/21 |
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