Degradation of synthetic and wood-based cellulose fabrics in the marine environment: Comparative assessment of field, aquarium, and bioreactor experiments

As global production of textiles rapidly grows, there is urgency to understand the persistence of fabrics in the marine environment, particularly from the microfibers they shed during wearing and washing. Here, we show that fabrics containing polyester (one of the most common plastics) remained relatively intact (viz., with a limited biofilm) after >200 days in seawater off the Scripps Oceanography pier (La Jolla, CA), in contrast to wood based cellulose fabrics that fell apart within 30 days. We also show similar results under experimental aquaria (in open circuit with the pier waters) as well as bioreactor settings (in close circuit, using microbial inoculum from the North Sea, off Belgium), using nonwoven fabrics and individual fibers, respectively. The fact that fibers released from synthetic textiles remain persistent and non-biodegradable despite their small (invisible) size, highlights concern for the growing industry that uses polyester from recycled plastics to make clothing. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Research indicates that fabrics containing polyester plastic are relatively durable in the marine environment, while cellulose-based fabrics degrade easily. Despite the difficulty in breaking down their small fibers, synthetic textiles still release persistent fibers.