Sorption of SARS-CoV-2 Virus Particles to the Surface of Microplastics Released during Washing Processes

The research aims at washing processes as possible sources of microplastics, specifical microfibers in wastewater, and the behavior of the virus particles SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater after the washing process as well as their ability to sorb to the surface of microfibers, released from washing processes. The conclusions of the research point to the ability of the virus to attach to possible solid impurities such as textile fibers (microfibers) occurring in the sewer and to the ability of wash water to influence their possible occurrence in the sewer. The highest efficiency (more than 99%) of removal virus particles was after washing process, using liquid washing powder, and washing soda. These findings may gradually contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of the virus particles in the sewer.

Strategies and progress in synthetic textile fiber biodegradability

The serious issue of textile waste accumulation has raised attention on biodegradability as a possible route to support sustainable consumption of textile fibers. However, synthetic textile fibers that dominate the market, especially poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), resist biological degradation, creating environmental and waste management challenges. Because pure natural fibers, like cotton, both perform well for consumer textiles and generally meet certain standardized biodegradability criteria, inspiration from the mechanisms involved in natural biodegradability are leading to new discoveries and developments in biologically accelerated textile waste remediation for both natural and synthetic fibers. The objective of this review is to present a multidisciplinary perspective on the essential bio-chemo-physical requirements for textile materials to undergo biodegradation, taking into consideration the impact of environmental or waste management process conditions on biodegradability outcomes. Strategies and recent progress in enhancing synthetic textile fiber biodegradability are reviewed, with emphasis on performance and biodegradability behavior of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as an alternative biobased, biodegradable apparel textile fiber, and on biological strategies for addressing PET waste, including industrial enzymatic hydrolysis to generate recyclable monomers. Notably, while pure PET fibers do not biodegrade within the timeline of any standardized conditions, recent developments with process intensification and engineered enzymes show that higher enzymatic recycling efficiency for PET polymer has been achieved compared to cellulosic materials. Furthermore, combined with alternative waste management practices, such as composting, anaerobic digestion and biocatalyzed industrial reprocessing, the development of synthetic/natural fiber blends and other strategies are creating opportunities for new biodegradable and recyclable textile fibers. Article Highlights Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) leads other synthetic textile fibers in meeting both performance and biodegradation criteria. Recent research with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymer shows potential for efficient enzyme catalyzed industrial recycling. Synthetic/natural fiber blends and other strategies could open opportunities for new biodegradable and recyclable textile fibers.

Automated recognition and sorting of recycled textiles for sustainable fashion

The application of the principles of sustainable fashion is one of the solutions to reduce the amount of waste from textile production and the use of such fabrics. Spectrophotometric methods have effective application in this subject area. In the present work, an analysis of known methods and approaches applied so far using the techniques of spectral analysis. The proposed methods and procedures lead to improvement and facilitation of the process of classification of textile fibers in sorting and recycling of textile fabrics, in order to implement in automated systems. The proposed analysis tools do not require high cost equipment and complex calculation procedures. They can be implemented in portable devices and microprocessor-based recognition systems. It has been found that two principal components and two latent variables are sufficient to describe the variance in the data. This significantly reduces the amount of data used to analyze textile fibers by their spectral characteristics. It has been shown that the accuracy of textile fiber classification does not depend on the type of separation function of the classifier used. This accuracy depends on the spectral characteristics used, the method for reducing the volume of data, and the type of classifier. The obtained results can be used in the development of recognition systems for sorting textile fabrics depending on the composition of their fibers. In this way, the principles of sustainable fashion will be effectively applied. Also, the proposed methods and tools can be used in the training of future specialists in the subject area.

Reuse of waste tire textile fibers from tires in plaster mixtures

The waste tire textile fibers from tires are generated as a by-product and are classified as special waste. To avoid landfilling and incineration of this waste, it is necessary to focus on its further use. This article describes an experimental study of the use of waste tire textile fibers for plaster mixtures. Waste fibers were added in different amounts of 2.9%, 3.6%, and 4.3% related to the weight of cement, the effect of fibers on selected properties was monitored. The results of the experimental work show that the lower addition of waste fibers (2.9% and 3.6%) had a predominantly positive effect on mechanical properties. By exceeding of the optimal dose of fibers, the tested properties of the plasters got worse.