The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that between 0.8 and 2.5 Mt per year of primary microplastics are directly released into the ocean. Micro-size fibers generated from the abrasion of textiles during laundering represents 35% of these polluting microplastics. It is believed that these microfibers enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with the effluents of the washing machines and eventually make their way to the ocean waters. Along with microfibers created from laundering, microfibers are also generated and released into aquatic environments through the flushing of paper and nonwoven materials. Most wipes and paper products recommended for flushing are primarily cellulosic and, although cellulose has been found to biodegrade, this research aims to further analyze their fate in wastewater treatment plants and ocean waters.  Microcrystalline cellulose, cotton microfibers, toilet paper, flushable cellulosic wipes, and polypropylene-based wipes were biodegraded in two aerobic conditions: activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant and microbes found in seawater. Previous research has shown a potential for microfibers to biodegrade in both wastewater and seawater environments; however, this research focused on the biodegradation of paper and nonwoven materials to simulate more realistic, home-use conditions. Percent biodegradation is calculated for each material in each condition as the amount of CO2 released relative to the total amount of elemental carbon in the raw material. Materials were characterized with FTIR, SEM, XRD, and TGA to determine their polymeric composition, construction, and crystallinity. We hypothesize biodegradation should be higher for materials with greater amounts of cellulose with the polypropylene-based wipes having the lowest amount of biodegradation in both conditions. Results aim to provide a more robust and complete picture of the fate of microfibers, bathroom tissue, and wipes in aquatic environments as well as their existence as an ocean pollutant.

Aquatic biodegradation of wood-based bathroom tissue, cotton microfibers, and flushable wipes in a wastewater treatment plant condition and a seawater environment

ACS Fall 2021

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