Merino wool does not contribute to the issue of microplastics in oceans, a new study has revealed. The scientific study conducted The Woolmark Company, titled Microfibre Pollution and the Marine Biodegradation of Wool, has found that both untreated and machine washable wool are readily biodegrade in marine environments, while synthetic fibres do not.
The study also found the machine-washable wool actually biodegrades at a faster rate than untreated wool fabrics and there was no evidence the treated wool’s polyamide resin coating added to microplastic pollution.
Previous estimates suggest as much as 20 per cent to 35 per cent of all primary source microplastics in the marine environment are from the use of synthetic clothing and a single polyester fleece garment can produce more than 1,900 microfibres per wash.
In this latest study, researchers compared the biodegradability of the two types of Merino wool in sea water to the biodegradability of viscose rayon, polyester, nylon and polypropylene. Residues were examined using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. All fabrics were washed repeatedly before testing to simulate a partial garment lifetime. The rate of biodegradation was then compared to that of a substance known to biodegrade readily, kraft paper pulp.
Scientists found untreated wool biodegraded at 20.3 per cent the rate of the pulp and the machine washable wool biodegraded more than three times as quickly, at a rate of 67.3 per cent – the fastest of all fabrics. At the tail-end was Nylon, biodegrading at a rate of just 0.8 percent, followed by polypropylene and polyester. (IANS)
