Study reveals micro plastic impact of tumble dryers

A single tumble dryer could be responsible for releasing 120m micro plastic fibres into the air each year, according to research by Prof Kenneth Leung, director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution at City University of Hong Kong. He described the findings, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, as “essential” for managing microfibre emissions, which are known to damage human health and the environment. Microfibres – plastic pieces less than 5mm in length – have been found in water, food and even the placentas of unborn babies and from the Arctic to high up in the Earth’s troposphere.