Dear Editor,
So, tumble-driers emit many millions of microfibres and some scientists in Hong Kong have invented a filter (article by Mabel Banfield-Nwachi, The Guardian, 12th. January 2022). Here I was pleased that you asked what happens to those fibres, when the filter is cleaned? Well spotted!
But there are a couple of other (unmentioned) questions which jumped out at me from between the lines ...
1. Why are we not scaling back on synthetic fibres and, instead, promoting clothing made of natural fibres?
2. Why are we tumble-drying so much anyway? My partner and I use a (very "low-tech") clothes' horse to dry our things!
3. And, most importantly, what about all the other sources of microplastic? Two major ones come to mind ...
First, alongside tumble-driers, there is the issue microplastic (microfibres) from the washing of synthetic fabric. This now makes up a hefty 35% of microplastic in the oceans!
And, second, the problem of tyre dust with Germany alone producing over 100'000 tonnes of this toxic particulate every year. Indeed, tyre dust, once emitted, simply lies about on our streets, waiting to be whipped up repeatedly by passing cars and wafting off to land up in our lungs, on farmland and in the oceans.
So, at this point, we should probably focus in on the penultimate sentence of the article: "In 2021, scientists found microplastics caused damage to human cells in the laboratory". Indeed, yes! So let's get on the case and take a close look at both the washing of synthetic fibres and the abrasion of tyre-tread.
If we fail to do this, we really are sticking our heads in the sand!
Regards
