Investigating Atmospheric Emissions of Nanoplastic Fibers from Residential Laundry Activities: A Study Using Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

MICHAEL A.R. TAWADROUS, Alex K.Y. Lee, Arthur W. H. Chan, University of Toronto

     Abstract Number: 126
     Working Group: Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Aerosol: Sources, Transformations, and Impacts

Abstract
Microfibers and nanofibers shredded from textiles play a significant role in the transport and distribution of chemical pollutants in the atmosphere due to their emission levels and capacity to adsorb other contaminates. Laundry activities represent a prominent source of airborne micro- and nanoplastic fibers. While numerous studies have examined microplastics, the quantification of laundry activities' contribution to nanoparticle pollution remains unclear due to the analytical complexities associated with detecting and characterizing these tiny fibers.

In our research, we use both online (AMS and SMPS) and offline (Py-GC/MS and SEM) techniques, which have previously been validated for the characterization of atmospheric nanoparticles in our previous study, to characterize and quantify atmospheric nanofibers. Analyzing the polymeric composition derived from the mass spectra generated by both AMS and Py-GC/MS will provide valuable insights into the sources of these fibers in the atmosphere. Nanofiber emissions are sampled from a vented dryer to investigate whether the mechanical drying of textiles releases nanofibers into the air or if they are instead captured and contained by the dryer's integrated filtration system. Various textile materials, including polyester (synthetic textiles) and cotton (natural textiles) blankets, are used as sources of nanofibers emitted during laundry drying. Emissions from different drying programs (hot, warm, and cool dry) operated within a temperature range of 25 to 60 °C, are examined to understand their impact on nanofiber release.

The preliminary results showed that the AMS detected chemical compounds and quantified the organic mass concentrations of nanofibers generated from drying polyester blankets. Information on nanofiber chemical composition provided by AMS and Py-GC/MS was used to determine marker ions of shredded polyester nanofibers such as those at m/z 149 and 166. As drying goes from the hot to cool cycle, the nanofiber mass concentrations obtained from both AMS and SMPS were significantly decreased.