Investigating Atmospheric Emissions of Nanoplastic Fibers from Domestic Tumble Dryer Activities: A Study Using Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

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

     Abstract Number: 137
     Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry

Abstract
Polyester textiles are a recognized source of microplastic pollution, predominantly through fiber shedding during laundering. While the release of fibers into wastewater has been extensively studied, airborne emissions generated during machine drying remain poorly characterized, particularly at the nanoplastic scale. This study addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the release, characterization, and emission factors of airborne polyester nanoplastic fibers from tumble dryers using a multi-instrument approach. Aerosol Mass Spectrometry (AMS), Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS), and Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) were combined to provide polymer-specific chemical identification, high-resolution size distributions, and real-time concentration measurements. Three polyester blankets with different fabric constructions, pile weave and two knitted types, were tested under controlled drying conditions.

Results show that fabric structure and moisture content are key parameters influencing nanofiber release. Pile weave fabrics exhibited higher emissions than knitted fabrics, attributed to the looser fiber ends characteristic of their construction. Emission levels also scaled with fabric moisture: higher moisture content led to greater nanofiber shedding, likely due to moisture-induced weakening of fiber integrity. Emission factors were calculated using AMS-derived organic mass concentrations. For the pile weave fabric, the emission factor was estimated to be about 5 tonnes per year in Canada. When adjusted to realistic household conditions (3.7 kg load and 3.8 drying cycles per week), this scaled to a national estimate of 66 tonnes per year. The two knitted fabrics contributed significantly less to between 10 and 16 tonnes annually.

Further characterization using size-resolved AMS and the UHSAS revealed that each blanket releases nanofibers within distinct size ranges where the majority of airborne PET fibers ranged from 100 nm to 500 nm in diameter, with larger fibers also captured by APS. Additionally, siloxane-related compounds, commonly used in textiles, were detected in emissions, indicating that polymer additives may be co-released with nanoplastics.

This work highlights the importance of textile structure and moisture in airborne nanoplastic generation and underscores the need to consider drying as a significant but overlooked source of environmental nanoplastics.