Design Day 2021 Projects – Table View

Designing a system for examining microplastic release in fabrics made from recycled materials

Team:

Program:

The goal of this study is to examine the extent of microplastic release from recycled synthetic textile fibers in domestic washing processes. A portable washer will be used to understand the phenomena across a wide variety of users. A specially developed filter will allow for rigorous examination of the extent of microfiber shedding in synthetic fabric samples. Recycled polypropylene fabric will be the examined specimen; virgin polypropylene will be used as the control. The aim will be to determine whether recycled materials are a factor in microplastic release.