Anthropocene: What escapes the lint trap? Dryers emerge as overlooked microfiber polluters…with a simple fix

Microfibers are a type of microplastic that comes from textiles. They have been found in the ocean, on remote mountaintops, and in human lung, placenta, and even brain tissue. Wear and tear from laundering is a major source of microfibers, which get washed down the drain from laundry machines and blown out into the air through dryer vents, too small to be caught by standard lint traps. In a recent study, researchers washed pieces of synthetic fabric in household washing machines, then dried them in household dryers fitted with one of three commercially available add-on dryer filters designed to capture microfibers: one that attaches to the dryer vent and two that get installed inside the dryer. The filters reduced the number of airborne microfibers released by 40%, 70%, and 81%, respectively, the researchers found. Read ON.