Washing machine microplastics

Microplastic are pieces of plastic which are smaller than 5 mm. They are toxic for the environment due to their disruptive ability of the intestines, grills, reproductive system, metabolism and animal growth. The aim of this thesis is to gain insight on microplastic problem from the textile washing machine aspect and analysis methods to finally introduce treatment. In this work, literature review of books, journal article and publications are done with work extension of hypothetical works. Garment fragments are also microplastic since most of garment product are plastic originated. The most considerable categories of garment material are Polyester, Nylon, Polypropylene, Acrylic and Spandex. On average of 6kg wash, 700 000 fibres could be released per wash. Samples can be collected by filtering (in the outflow water) or sampling large amount of discharged water to filter with special filter paper for further analysis. The paper then is dried and analysed by electronically scanning, weighting, counting or FTIR measurements. During the measurement process, there are numerous factors contributing to errors which could be minimized with careful preparation. Removing microplastic and its additives can be done by collecting microfiber pieces during wash, filter them or treating them in the discharged water before entering the environment. Further research is required to encounter microplastic before they accumulate and become a significant issue for human