Yikes! Just when you think you have one problem under control, up comes another one. Those of us who care about our environment try to do things right, but sometimes it’s difficult. Here’s another problem that needs a solution.

The problem is MICROFIBERS. Those are the fibers that come from our polyester clothing…especially from those fleecy winter things we like so much. Every time we wash them, fibers thinner than a strand of hair wash off and find their way, in our case, into the Sound. A study at UC Santa Barbara found that, on average, synthetic fleece jackets release 1.7 grams of microfibers each wash. These plastics, along with MICROPLASTICS (tiny beads found in personal products and from the breakdown of bottles, bags and other plastics) are found in every large body of water including the Antarctic and the Great Lakes. The majority of manmade debris found on beaches is microfibers.

So what? If a marine organism (say a fish, crab or clam) gets full filter feeding microfibers, it won’t grow as large. What’s more, chemicals bond to these plastics and so not only does the small organism get a dose of whatever, but so does the person who eats it. Many of the chemicals are estrogen-like, thus causing the feminization of marine organisms. Not enough research has been done yet to know all the ramifications of the biological buildup of microfibers and their associated chemicals.

“What can I do? I love my polyester clothing”. Easy. Wear a layer of cotton underneath and don’t wash the polyester so often. Being aware of the harm that can be done when these microfibers get into the ocean, we can switch to clothing made from natural fibers and wash polyester fabrics only when absolutely necessary. 

Reprinted from the February 2017 Panorama News