LEEDS – UK researchers have disclosed a robust new test method for measuring textile microfibre release during laundering that’s been validated by ten independent laboratories to show both reliability and reproducibility.
This new microfibre release test method now allows the industry to assess how different types of textile fibres and fabric constructions shed microfibres in washing machines.
Mark Sumner from the University of Leeds, who was part of the team that developed the new test method, told Ecotextile News: “A reliable test method was needed for two reasons. Firstly, to determine the impact of microfibres we need quantify the amount of microfibre being released into the environment through a method that we can trust. Secondly, a method that is reliable, means we can now compare different materials and fabrics knowing that any variation in results is down to the material or fabric – and not the way in which they were tested.”
