Microplastic menace

Synthetic textiles are a significant source of pollution as they release microplastics into the environment. Microplastics are small plastic particles that are released from synthetic textiles such as nylon, polyester and acrylic during washing. These particles are too small to be captured by wastewater treatment plants and can absorb and concentrate toxic chemicals, which can then be transferred up the food chain. This means that humans who consume seafood may be exposed to harmful chemicals. There are several solutions to this problem including switching to natural fibres, using washing machine filters, upgrading wastewater treatment plants to capture microplastics and regulations to limit the use of microplastic materials.

Fayyaz Salih Hussain

Karachi