Unraveling the ecological impact of textile microfibers: Current knowledge and research challenges

Microplastic pollution is a widespread environmental issue that has received extensive attention, with an increasing number of exposure studies highlighting the potential impact of these materials on various organisms. Nonetheless, many questions remain regarding the overall effects of textile microfibers, a particular subset of microplastics, on biota, the environment and, ultimately, human health. Interactions with other contaminants occurring in the environment, lack of efficient degradation/removal methods, and adverse effects are significant threats that microfibers pose to both aquatic and terrestrial environments. In this work, the sources of synthetic microfibers are reviewed and the key challenges that remain regarding the assessment of their prevalence, characterization, as well as described effects, are also analyzed. Less-studied aspects of the potentially deleterious environmental effects of these materials, such as the role of chemical additives in their overall toxicity, are also scrutinized. Furthermore, this work reviews and compares various methods for treatment, sampling, and analysis of microfibers, discusses recent policies for controlling and limiting the use of plastics, as well as the technological advancements and risk assessments associated with controlling the release of microplastics, in general, and microfibers, in particular. Finally, several perspectives and prospects are suggested regarding the priority research directions for microfiber monitoring, assessment, and control.