From the polar ice sheet to the Mariana Trench under the waves 10 km, synthetic microfibers emitted by domestic washing machines are polluting the oceans all over the world.

The harm of disposable plastics is known all over the world. From beverage bottles and straws to disposable plastic bags, dozens of countries have legislated to restrict or prohibit the use of disposable plastics.

Many visible fragments meander in the sea and gather on the huge floating island, which is the circulation. Wild animals are entangled in nets and hang in the water like dead jellyfish.

Experts say that so far, little attention has been paid to the tiny fragments of polyester, nylon and acrylic acid, which are the main sources of marine pollution.

Imogen Napper, a researcher at Plymouth University, said that most people don't realize this, but "most of our clothes are made of plastic".

She told AFP: "We wash clothes regularly and wash hundreds of thousands of fibers at a time, which may be one of the main sources of plastic pollution to the environment."

She added, "How can we get rid of such a small thing?"

According to a report of allen macarthur Foundation 20 15, 500,000 tons of microfibers enter the sewers every year, and the annual output of new textiles is 53 million tons.

Every year, 500,000 tons of plastic fibers enter the ocean, accounting for 35% of marine pollution sources.

According to Ocean Wise, the average family in the United States and Canada releases more than 500 million microfibers into the environment every year.

Buy less clothes

In the process of sewage treatment, most tiny textiles (whether synthetic or not) were intercepted, but nearly 900 tons of fish escaped to the sea.

However, in less developed countries, more of these particles will not be intercepted, thus increasing the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean.

Marine biologists say that microplastics is almost certain to do harm to fragile marine life, just like shopping bags do harm to turtles.

But Peter Ross, co-author of the ocean wisdom report, explained that such clues are hard to find.

He explained: "The evidence will soon disappear, and other species will quickly devour fragile or dead microorganisms."

Recent research focuses on how to reduce the amount of micro-pollution generated when we wash clothes-except reducing the number of times we wash clothes.

Laura Diaz Sanchez, an activist of the NGO Plastic Soup Foundation, said: "When washing clothes, you can reduce the impact by lowering the temperature-textiles are easier to decompose above 30 degrees Celsius." .

She added: "Liquid detergent is better than powder detergent, and it has the function of friction decontamination. Also, don't use the dryer. "

It is also important to buy less clothes: research shows that clothes washed for the first time release the most fiber.

Mojca Zupan, founder of Slovenian startup PlanetCare, insisted: "This is something we can stop."

"Your car is equipped with a filter, and the washing machine should also be equipped with a filter." She explained that the filter she made was approved by the Plastic Soup Foundation and could be installed by herself. "From now on, every machine should be neutral to the environment."

Buying less clothes can also reduce the pollution of superfine fiber, because the most fiber is released when washing for the first time.