Presence of textile microfibers from washing machines in marine floors.

A study quantifies the presence of textile microfibers in south European marine floors. Researchers analyzed the amount of these colored fibers, which vary between 3 to 8 mm but are extremely fine, with less than a 0.1 mm diameter, and which come mainly from washing machines. The results show the dominance of cellulosic fibers over synthetic polymers and highlight several oceanographic processes pile and transport microfibers to marine hollows.