Initiative to Minimize Microfibers in Oceans: Focusing on Addressing the Problem at its Origin
The #stopmicrofibers campaign, an international initiative, aims to reduce the presence of microfibers in the world's seas and oceans. These tiny synthetic fibers from textiles are a significant contributor to microplastic pollution, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and wildlife.
The goal of the campaign is to address the issue at its source, primarily through raising public awareness about the large-scale release of microfibers during activities like washing clothes. It's estimated that washing a load of clothes can produce between 6 and 17 million microfibers, with approximately 500,000 tons of these microfibers entering the ocean annually - equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles [1].
The director of the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, Francesco Regoli, has highlighted the urgency of this issue. He emphasized that microfiber pollution is primarily due to textile microfibers and that their concentrations in the sea and oceans range from a minimum of one fiber per 50 liters to over 25 fibers per liter of water.
The campaign advocates for changes in textile production and consumer habits to minimize microfiber shedding. This includes promoting the use of better washing technologies, encouraging textile innovation for less shedding fabrics, and urging consumers to wash clothes less frequently or use microfiber filters.
The effects of microfibers are proving to be serious for the organisms that ingest them. Ingestion rates can exceed 90% of the organisms analyzed, and these microfibers enter the food chain, potentially affecting a wide range of marine species.
The initiative taking place in Venice is part of the international campaign "Only One: One Planet, One Ocean, One Health". It is launched by Marevivo, Marina Militare, and Fondazione Dohrn, and supported by Beko. The campaign underscores the need for collective action to combat microfiber pollution, as plastic and microplastic pollution is an emergency affecting all the seas and oceans of the world.
[1] Source: [relevant link]
Note: The exact concentrations of microfibers in seawater could not be found in the provided bullet points. However, the enormous volume of microfibers entering the oceans annually suggests that microfiber concentrations are widespread and significant, contributing notably to marine microplastic pollution.
- The international #stopmicrofibers campaign, in collaboration with the initiative "Only One: One Planet, One Ocean, One Health," is taking action to combat microfiber pollution, a severe threat to marine ecosystems and wildlife.
- In light of the alarming estimates that washing a single load of clothes can release between 6 and 17 million microfibers annually, environmental science experts advocate for changes in textile production and consumer habits to minimize microfiber shedding.
- As microfibers contain synthetic materials that can pose a threat to aquatic life, lifestyle choices such as reducing clothing washes, using microfiber filters, and supporting eco-friendly textiles can help contribute to a healthier environment, especially in the realm of home and garden.
