NEWCASTLE – New research into microfibre pollution off the eastern coast of Africa has found that the majority of those found were from ‘natural’ fibres, such as cotton and wool, rather than synthetics like polyester and nylon.
In samples taken along the coast of Kenya and Tanzania, researchers found 2,403 textile fibres of which 55 per cent were of natural origin, 37 per cent were synthetic and eight per cent were regenerated cellulosics (viscose).
One of the authors, Kelly Sheridan, research director of The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) and assistant professor in forensic science (textile fibres) at Northumbria University, said the findings raised interesting questions.
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