Microfibers: a preliminary discussion on their definition and sources

Liu, Jianli; Yang, Yunfei; Ding, Jiannan; Zhu, Bo; Gao, Weidong

doi:10.1007/s11356-019-06265-w

Short Research and Discussion Article
Published: 23 August 2019

Microfibers: a preliminary discussion on their definition and sources

Jianli Liu ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0609-9083¹,
Yunfei Yang²,
Jiannan Ding³,
Bo Zhu¹ &
Weidong Gao¹

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 26, pages 29497–29501 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Microfibers are a major component of microplastics and have been found nearly everywhere, especially in marine and freshwater habitats around the world. Therefore, microfibers have gained considerable attention in environmental science research. However, there is still no clear consensus on a definition that can encompass all necessary properties to describe microfibers as emerging pollutants. Therefore, we propose a definition for debate by taking the related descriptions of microplastics and textile fibers as references. Moreover, the potential sources from the perspectives of textile engineering, including production, use, care, and end-of-life disposal of fibrous materials, are discussed. For further investigation of microfiber pollution, the gap between current knowledge and major microfiber pollution concerns must be bridged.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Qingbo Yang of Wuxi Little Swan Company Limited for insightful discussions and comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. We acknowledge the support for J. L. L. and J. N. D. of Jiangnan University.

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Authors and Affiliations

College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
Jianli Liu, Bo Zhu & Weidong Gao
Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Nanjing, 210036, China
Yunfei Yang
School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
Jiannan Ding

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Jianli Liu
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Yunfei Yang
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Jiannan Ding
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Bo Zhu
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Weidong Gao
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Correspondence to Jianli Liu.

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Liu, J., Yang, Y., Ding, J. et al. Microfibers: a preliminary discussion on their definition and sources. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 29497–29501 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06265-w

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Received: 21 March 2019
Accepted: 16 August 2019
Published: 23 August 2019
Issue Date: October 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06265-w

Keywords

Microfibers
Environment pollution
Definition
Source
Dispersive pathway
Wastewater treatment plants