I went to Antarctica to understand and prevent microfiber pollution. Encircled by penguins and 25-storey high glacial walls of ice, bleary-eyed with amazement, I was meant to be collecting samples but was having a bit of a time of it.
National Geographic Explorers, Exploration Scientists, Rosalia Project for a Clean Ocean I love the ocean and researching and exploring in beautiful places is something I do often, but this was my two favorite things, a childhood and professional dream, all coming true at once: big ice and penguins (my love), Antarctica (my childhood dream), and data that will lead to solutions to protect this wild and magical place (my professional dream).
I was paralyzed with awe. Lindblad Expedition – National Geographic Society It’s a partnership that connects National Geographic explorers with teams like mine, taking them on small vessel expeditions to many of the world’s wildest and most remote places. And it’s not the first time I’ve been amazed by nature. It’s happened in Hawaii, surrounded by spinner dolphins and the deepest turquoise waters. It’s also happened in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, with its pack ice, polar bears and walruses, and more recently, the puffins, mountains and waterfalls of the Norwegian fjords, Shetland, the Faroe Islands and the sub-Arctic of Iceland.
My team’s goal is to collect surface water and air samples in all these locations to understand where microplastic and man-made microfiber pollution is, what exactly it is, and then prevent it.
There is growing evidence that microplastics, and particularly microfibers, pose a real threat to organisms throughout the marine food chain. Further research has established that microplastics can be present in the human body through ingestion or inhalation, and a study published this year has shown a potential link between the presence of microplastics and serious illnesses (R. Malfera et al. 2024; Hu et al. 2024; Pinto Rodriguez, Science News March 23, 2023).
Addressing microplastic and microfiber pollution is becoming increasingly urgent, and our research data is already revealing actionable information, pointing to opportunities for solutions and innovation.
Science for Solutions
Our team at Project Rosalia has been working on the visible aspects of microplastic pollution since 2010. By definition, microplastics are anything between 1 micrometer (1/1000th of a millimeter) (about 1/100th the diameter of a human hair and invisible to the naked eye) up to 5 millimeters (half the width of your pinky fingernail). We first learned about microfiber pollution in 2014, which really spoke to us as the next big thing for our oceans. And by big, we mean figuratively. Microfiber pollution occurs when invisible fibers break off from textile products like clothing, carpets, cleaning cloths, and fishing gear and find their way into the environment.
At the time we learned about this, the main source of this pollution was thought to be clothes washing machines.
With little environmental data available at the time, we assembled a team of researchers and volunteers to collect and analyze samples for particulate pollution throughout the Hudson River. The results were unexpected: there was no significant relationship between fiber concentrations in surface waters and population density (Miller et al. 2017).
So we wondered: Could it come from a dryer?
From fibers falling from the sky?
Just by wearing clothes?
aAre there any other important sources or causes?
We returned to the Hudson River to take air, soil and water column samples, as well as surface water samples. Our results reaffirmed that particulate matter, mostly microfibers, containing both plastic and non-plastic, is distributed throughout the air, water and soil, in areas with and without nearby residents. The next questions were: Are microfibers reaching the most remote parts of the world? Can we gather data that will spur action and innovation to solve this problem? And can we engage people from pole to pole in collecting that data?
Working with National Geographic Explorer forensic fibre expert Dr Claire Gwinnett from Staffordshire University in the UK, we have demonstrated that new, cheaper and more accessible methods of microplastic analysis are possible (Gwinnett and Miller, 2021).Our commitment to pioneering new methods of forensic-inspired microplastic/microfiber research and carrying out first-of-its-kind expeditions has paved the way for the launch of an ambitious, solutions-oriented, community-led programme.
CSI for the Oceans
CSI for the Oceans is a global citizen science microplastic mapping and monitoring program that combines science, awareness, and solution development to address microplastic and microfiber pollution by collecting the data needed to drive large-scale policy and innovation to address the root of the problem. We call our program CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) because the methods we use are inspired by forensic science, a nod to the fact that marine pollution, or any pollution, is a crime, literally and figuratively. The program is supported in part by the National Geographic Society, Lindblad Expeditions, and the Rosalia Clean Ocean Project, with technical support from the Forensic Science Departments at Staffordshire University and Northumbria University in the UK.
In the course of this program, I have traveled to Hawaii, the Arctic, Sub-Arctic and Antarctic Oceans to collect data in some of the most remote and seemingly untouched places in the world, all of which are home to microplastic pollution, primarily microfiber pollution.
Data from our expeditions shows the relationship between population, ocean currents, and remote areas. Specifically, Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic and Arctic expeditions to Svalbard and the west coast of Norway revealed hotspots of micro-pollution in Svalbard’s surface waters. This didn’t make sense until we realized that in Svalbard, where there is almost no human population, overlaying ocean currents could mean that anyone on the east coast of the US and the British Isles could be contributing plastic pollution that ends up in Svalbard’s polar bears and walruses.Mirror, Story Map, 2024).
The characteristics of the fibres found through CSI for the Ocean match those that primarily make up clothing textiles. In the South Orkney Islands, where ships rarely come, microfibers were found in the ocean near an Adelie penguin colony.Mirror, Story Map, 2024In remote areas, prevention must begin thousands of miles away.
Human-scale solutions
Microfiber pollution may seem intractable, but it’s a problem with plenty of solutions that individuals and families can implement right away, as well as opportunities for teams and businesses to innovate and support each other.
Let’s start with the easiest, least costly solutions you can make in your home laundry room: wash less often, spot wash, load clothes 3/4 to full, and air dry on a cold water setting when possible (this will also reduce water and energy use).
Next level solutions include wearing low-lint clothing during outdoor activities, choosing high-quality clothing that will last longer when possible, and saving money: new clothes will shed a lot of lint after the first few washes, but this is not an issue with second-hand clothes.
For more information on preventing microfiber pollution in your home, check out How to Reduce Microfiber Pollution from Your Laundry from Earth911. Cola Ball – A microfiber laundry ball invented by our team. Find out how we use biomimicry (taking design inspiration directly from nature) to protect our oceans and clothes. Marine conservation group blog.
Solutions must also come from industries and policies upstream from the consumer. Opportunities for innovation include producing more durable fibers that are less likely to tear, and bio-based and bio-friendly fibers that are less harmful when lost to the environment. Producing washers and dryers with built-in filters, creating settings that reduce hair shedding, and designing machines that wash more gently would also have a big impact.
On the policy side, enacting policies limiting emissions from washers and dryers, adopting shedding testing standards and labeling laws that provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions, would also go a long way to preventing this problem and protecting our precious public waterways.
Calls for change and action
We encourage everyone to adopt the strategies above, we call on our engineers and problem solvers to address the innovation opportunities, and we call on everyone to pay attention to the issue of microfiber pollution, especially from clothing, and take action on that message.
One of my favorite concepts is “lots of little things add up to a big thing.” Small pieces of plastic and textiles pose big problems for the oceans, their creatures, and for humans themselves. But lots of small efforts and solutions done simultaneously can make a big impact in protecting the one big ocean we share and all the people who depend on it – all of us.
My team’s exploration isn’t over yet, and CSI for the Ocean is still going strong! Rachel Zoe Miller Learning through exploration (mostly on Instagram) and a love of being in, on and around water. Rosalia Project, Follow, Lindblad and translation: We bring you information, inspiration, stories and action from every corner of the planet.
About the Author
Rachel Zoe Miller is a National Geographic Explorer, Expedition Scientist, and Inventor Committed to Ocean Conservation. She Rosalia Project for a Clean Oceanis a nonprofit organization that works to remove marine debris through cleanup, education, innovation and solutions-based research, and its research vessel is based off the coast of Maine. Cola BallThe company, which develops anti-microfiber laundry balls, has published numerous papers focusing on marine debris in peer-reviewed journals and presented to audiences around the world.
