Microfibers from Laundering and Their Fate in the Aquatic Environment Marielis Zambrano1, Richard Venditti1, Joel Pawlak1, Jesse Daystar2, Mary Ankeny2, Carlos Goller3, Jay Cheng4 1Department of Forest Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University; 2Cotton Incorporated; 3Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University; 4Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University. December 3, 2019 OUTLINE Outline Introduction Microfibers generated from laundering Aerobic biodegradation of textile spun yarns in aquatic and marine environments. Microfibers interaction with the microbiome Summary www.adventurescientists.org/microplastics.html 2 MOTIVATION Microplastics: Sources and Distribution Microplastics are EVERYWHERE!!! “Microplastics are any synthetic solid particle or polymeric matrix, with regular or irregular shape and with Beer Tap Water Sea Salt size ranging from 1 μm to 5 mm, of either primary or secondary manufacturing origin, which are insoluble in water”. Frias and Nash (2019) About 0.8 - 2.5 Mt./year of primary microplastics are 212 particles/kg released into the ocean 4 particles/L 5 particles/L The average person ingests over 5,800 particles of synthetic 35% are micro-size fibers released from textiles during debris from these three sources annually, laundering. Kosuth et al. (2018) The presence of anthropogenic debris in seafood for human consumption has been observed Miranda and de Carvalho-Souza (2016) and Rochman et al. (2015) Human stool samples have shown between 18 to 172 plastic particles per 10 g of stool. Schwabl (2018) Boucher and Friot (2017) 3 Textile Microfibers in the Environment Wastewater Treatment Plants The Lint LUV-R filter traps 87% of fibers Washing Machine Effluent High volumes discharged daily Small size (10 µm – 100 µm) 30% Fibers WWTP Home Laundering WWTP Effluents The Coral Ball traps 26% of fibers > 98 % McIlwraith et al. (2019) Microplastics (MPs) Removal Efficiency Magnusson et al. (2014), Lares et al. (2018), Talvitie et al. (2015), Talvitie et al. (2017a) Talvitie et al. (2017b), Mason et al. (2016), Mintenig et al. (2017), Wolff et al. (2018). Environmental Impact Textiles Rummel et al. (2017) 4 OBJECTIVES Objectives Quantify microfibers generated from laundering of different fabrics Understand biodegradation of microfibers in aquatic environments. Understand the impact of microfibers on the microbial communities of lake and seawater ecosystems. 5 Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics Do synthetic fabrics release a different amount of microfibers during laundering than natural fabrics? What are the washing parameters that influence the most the microfiber release? What is the mechanism of microfiber release during laundering? METHODOLOGY Accelerated Laundering Experiments Quantify SDL Atlas Launder-Ometer Fibers Quality http://www.sdlatlas.com/product/120/La Water with http://www.sdlatlas.com/consumable/81/Container- under-Ometer Seals-(pack-of-8) Microfibers Analyzer HiRes FQA Washing Cycle (Robertson et al. 1999) Samples Containers Preparation Laundering Water Collection Preparation 16 min • 1 piece of fabric / Container At constant temperature • 25 metal balls / Container Weft Knitted Interlock . • 150 ml Detergent Solution Fabric 8 Containers / Washing Cycle (1.47g AATCC Standard Filtration and Liquid Detergent per 1L of 4 in x 4 in Weighing Pre-Cleaned DI Water) or DI water 7 Robertson, G., Olson, J., Allen, P., Chan, B. E. N., and Seth, R. (1999). “Measurement of fiber length, coarseness, and shape with the fiber quality analyzer,” Tappi Journal, 82(10), 93–98. RESULTS Accelerated Laundering Experiments High Temperature Low Temperature No detergent Detergent No detergent Detergent Cotton Polyester 50/50 Cotton/Polyester Rayon Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Daystar, J., Ankeny, M., Cheng, J.J., Venditti, R.A., 2019. Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar. Pollut. 8 Bull. 142, 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2019.02.062 RESULTS Microfibers Size Distribution Fibers Length= 0.2mm - 10mm Microfibers shed from laundering detected in our 16% experiments .02-2 mm and about .016 mm wide. Cotton = Purple 12% Rayon = Green Polyester = Pink Polyester/Cotton = Orange Fibers used to spin yarns > 25 mm. 8% This indicates that the textile fibers are broken during 4% washing. Normalized Distribution 0% Small size: easy to ingest……hard to detect. 0.00 - 0.05 0.15 - 0.20 0.30 - 0.35 0.45 - 0.50 0.60 - 0.65 0.75 - 0.80 0.90 - 0.95 1.05 - 1.10 1.20 - 1.25 1.35 - 1.40 1.50 - 1.55 1.65 - 1.70 1.80 - 1.85 1.95 - 2.00 2.10 - 2.15 2.25 - 2.30 2.40 - 2.45 2.55 - 2.60 2.70 - 2.75 Length (mm) Cotton 50/50 Polyester/Cotton Polyester Rayon Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Daystar, J., Ankeny, M., Cheng, J.J., Venditti, R.A., 2019. Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar. Pollut. 9 Bull. 142, 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2019.02.062 METHODOLOGY Microfibers Generated During Home Laundering 4 Lb of Fabric Cycles Pre-Cleaned 700,000 microfibers released per Wet Fabric load Washing Drying Dried Fabric Normal Cycle High (Heavy) Cycle 60 min 45 gallons Container Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Daystar, J., Ankeny, M., Cheng, J.J., Venditti, R.A., 2019. Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar. Pollut. 10 Bull. 142, 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2019.02.062 RESULTS Microfibers are broken from the yarn during washing 100 % Polyester 50/50 Polyester/Cotton Spun Yarn Spun Yarn 100 % Rayon 100 % Cotton Spun Yarn Spun Yarn Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Daystar, J., Ankeny, M., Cheng, J.J., Venditti, R.A., 2019. Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar. Pollut. 11 Bull. 142, 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2019.02.062 RESULTS Microfibers are broken from the yarn during washing 100 % Polyester 50/50 Polyester/Cotton Spun Yarn Spun Yarn 100 % Rayon 100 % Cotton Spun Yarn Spun Yarn Zambrano, M.C., Pawlak, J.J., Daystar, J., Ankeny, M., Cheng, J.J., Venditti, R.A., 2019. Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation. Mar. Pollut. 12 Bull. 142, 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2019.02.062 Aerobic Biodegradation of Textile Spun Yarns in Aquatic Environments Do microfibers released during laundering biodegrade in aquatic and marine environments? What is biodegradation? A chemical compound is transformed or eliminated by the biological action of living organisms. (Science Photo Library, fineartamerica) 14 What are the steps for biodegradation? 1. For bacteria to live they need food (substrate), pH, temperature, oxygen, water 2. Bacteria must come into proximity of Food Source (microfibers) the substrate 3. The bacteria secretes enzymes that adsorb onto the substrate and catalyze the breakage of compounds into small units such as sugars 4. The sugars diffuse to the bacteria and are transported through the cell wall 5. Sugars are processed by the bacteria, consuming oxygen, producing biomass, energy and carbon dioxide Bacteria 15 METHODOLOGY Aerobic Biodegradation of Textile Spun Yarns in Aquatic and Marine Environments ISO 14851:1999. Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium -- Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer; 2005. 16 ASTM D6691 − 09. Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium; West Conshohocken, PA, 2009. RESULTS Aerobic Biodegradation of Textile Spun Yarns (Lake and Seawater) 95 100% Cotton 100% Polyester 95 100% Cotton 100% Polyester 85 100% Rayon 50/50 Polyester/Cotton 85 100% Rayon 50/50 Polyester/Cotton MCC 75 75 MCC 65 65 55 Rayon Cotton 55 Cotton 45 45 35 35 Rayon 25 25 50/50 % Biodegradation % 50/50 Biodegradation % 15 15 5 Polyester 5 -5 -5 Polyester 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Days Days Lake Water Seawater ISO 14851 ASTM D6691 Determination of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegradability of Plastic Materials in an Aqueous Determination of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegradability of Plastic Materials in an Medium Aqueous Medium N=3 N=4 Inoculum – Lake Raleigh Water Inoculum – Seawater Measurements – RSA PF-8000 (Oxygen Uptake) Measurements – RSA PF-8000 (Oxygen Uptake) Material Added – 80 mg of yarns/500 ml Test Medium Material Added – 80 mg of yarns/500 ml Test Medium Zambrano, M. C.; Venditti, R. A.; Pawlak, J. J.; Ankeny, M.; Daystar, J.; Goller, C. Aquatic Biodegradability of Cotton, Polyester, and Rayon Yarns (2nd Place Winner, Herman and Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition). 17 AATCC 2019 International Conference (April 2019). Texas, United States. Available online: https://www.aatcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Zambrano-Marielis-HMGSPC.pdf RESULTS Aerobic Biodegradation of Textile Spun Yarns SEM images of the spun yarns during biodegradation using as inoculum 30 ppm of Activated Sludge solids from the Neuse River WWTP 100% Cotton 100% Polyester 100% Rayon 50/50 Polyester/Cotton Day 0 Day Day 6 Day Day 38 Day 18 OBJECTIVES Effect of Finishes on Cotton Aquatic Biodegradation Cellulose Study the effect