Study describes presence of textile microfibers in south European marine floors

A study led by researchers of the University of Barcelona quantifies the presence of textile microfibers in south European marine floors from the Cantabrian Sea to the Black Sea. The study has analysed the amount of these colored fibers, which vary between three to eight millimeters but are extremely fine, less than a 0.1 mm diameter, and which come mainly from home and industrial washing machines. The results show the dominance of cellulosic fibers over synthetic polymers, and highlight that several oceanographic processes pile and transport microfibers to marine hollows.