Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers
Microplastic synthetic fibre pollution from textile products has been a key focus of environmental research since the mid 2000s, with numerous investigations establishing their ubiquity in natural systems and the ecological threats they pose. Natural and semi-synthetic fibres, however, have been lar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/add860 |
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| author | Daniel J Jolly Elisabeth Allen Brigitta Olah-Kovacs Hayley McIlwraith Richard J Warren Charlotte Woodhouse Maria Staines Amy C M Wright Bas Boots Trevor J Tolhurst Dannielle S Green |
| author_facet | Daniel J Jolly Elisabeth Allen Brigitta Olah-Kovacs Hayley McIlwraith Richard J Warren Charlotte Woodhouse Maria Staines Amy C M Wright Bas Boots Trevor J Tolhurst Dannielle S Green |
| author_sort | Daniel J Jolly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastic synthetic fibre pollution from textile products has been a key focus of environmental research since the mid 2000s, with numerous investigations establishing their ubiquity in natural systems and the ecological threats they pose. Natural and semi-synthetic fibres, however, have been largely ignored due to assumptions of their negligible environmental impact and rapid degradation due to their natural material sources. There is, however, growing evidence of widespread pollution by natural and semi-synthetic microfibres, especially in aquatic environments, at levels equivalent to or exceeding those observed for synthetic microfibres. Difficulties in reliable identification and detection of microfibres in environmental samples has limited our knowledge and understanding of their presence, abundance and impacts; yet investigations into the ecological threats posed by these fibres suggest similar or even greater negative impacts on organisms than their synthetic counterparts. Here we briefly summarise the state of this emerging field and stress the importance for future research to focus on quantifying and assessing the threats posed by natural and semi-synthetic microfibre pollution alongside those from synthetic fibres. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd6938bc6610492bb5e6bdc085d00263 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2515-7620 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd6938bc6610492bb5e6bdc085d002632025-08-20T01:52:49ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Communications2515-76202025-01-017505250210.1088/2515-7620/add860Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibersDaniel J Jolly0https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1716-5103Elisabeth Allen1Brigitta Olah-Kovacs2https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9152-9195Hayley McIlwraith3Richard J Warren4Charlotte Woodhouse5https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8191-8575Maria Staines6Amy C M Wright7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9333-4613Bas Boots8Trevor J Tolhurst9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8578-7580Dannielle S Green10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9122-8160School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United KingdomDepartment of Materials, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United KingdomApplied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University , Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United KingdomSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom; Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory , Plymouth, PL1 3DH, United KingdomSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United KingdomMarine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory , Plymouth, PL1 3DH, United Kingdom; University of Exeter , Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United KingdomSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United KingdomApplied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University , Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United KingdomApplied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University , Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United KingdomSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United KingdomApplied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University , Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United KingdomMicroplastic synthetic fibre pollution from textile products has been a key focus of environmental research since the mid 2000s, with numerous investigations establishing their ubiquity in natural systems and the ecological threats they pose. Natural and semi-synthetic fibres, however, have been largely ignored due to assumptions of their negligible environmental impact and rapid degradation due to their natural material sources. There is, however, growing evidence of widespread pollution by natural and semi-synthetic microfibres, especially in aquatic environments, at levels equivalent to or exceeding those observed for synthetic microfibres. Difficulties in reliable identification and detection of microfibres in environmental samples has limited our knowledge and understanding of their presence, abundance and impacts; yet investigations into the ecological threats posed by these fibres suggest similar or even greater negative impacts on organisms than their synthetic counterparts. Here we briefly summarise the state of this emerging field and stress the importance for future research to focus on quantifying and assessing the threats posed by natural and semi-synthetic microfibre pollution alongside those from synthetic fibres.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/add860eco-friendlyeco-threatnaturalfiberspollutionmicroplastic |
| spellingShingle | Daniel J Jolly Elisabeth Allen Brigitta Olah-Kovacs Hayley McIlwraith Richard J Warren Charlotte Woodhouse Maria Staines Amy C M Wright Bas Boots Trevor J Tolhurst Dannielle S Green Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers Environmental Research Communications eco-friendly eco-threat natural fibers pollution microplastic |
| title | Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers |
| title_full | Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers |
| title_fullStr | Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers |
| title_short | Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers |
| title_sort | eco friendly or eco threat the environmental risks of natural and semi synthetic fibers |
| topic | eco-friendly eco-threat natural fibers pollution microplastic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/add860 |
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