First Investigation of Microfibre Release from the Washing of Laminated Fabrics for Outdoor Apparel

The washing process of synthetic textiles represents one of the major source of microplastic pollution in world oceans. The present work is the first to investigate the peculiar structure of functional fabrics applied in outdoor apparel, in relation to microplastic release. Washing tests at lab scale were performed on several types of laminated fabrics, which differ for raw materials used, textile construction and characteristics.