Microplastics — tiny fragments or fibers of synthetic plastics — are widely known as a problem in oceans and waterways. But an often-overlooked source of microplastics is our clothing, especially garments made from synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, acrylic, or spandex.
Below is a deep dive into how clothing generates microplastics, how those microplastics make their way into our bodies, and what science says (so far) about their potential health impacts.
Where Microplastics from Clothing Come From
Synthetic fabrics are essentially plastics
Clothes made from polyester, nylon, acrylic and similar materials are fundamentally plastic. From the moment such garments are manufactured — during yarn spinning, weaving, or knitting — microplastics (often micro- and nano-fibers) are already present.
Wearing, washing, drying — all cause shedding
Every time we wear synthetic clothing, friction (rubbing, stretching) can release tiny fibers. More dramatically, laundering (washing) and drying synthetics release even more micro- and nano-fibers.
Once released — environment, water, air, dust
These tiny fibers don’t just vanish. Many go down the drain, escaping wastewater treatment and ending up in rivers, lakes, or the ocean. Others can stay airborne and settle as dust indoors.
In fact, studies estimate synthetic textiles account for a large portion of microplastic pollution — especially when hand-washed in harder water.
How Clothing-Derived Microplastics Enter Our Bodies
The fibers and fragments shed from clothes don’t just stay in the environment — they can end up inside us. Here are the known or suspected pathways:
Inhalation (breathing them in)
Recent research highlights that microplastics from our own clothing can become airborne in our homes — meaning that simply wearing or handling synthetic garments may lead to inhalation.
Once inhaled, fibers can settle in the respiratory tract. Some fibers may resist clearance by normal lung mechanisms, potentially causing pulmonary irritation or inflammation.
Ingestion via food, water, dust, or cross-contamination
Microplastics shed into water systems can contaminate drinking water or food (e.g., seafood, salt, even air-borne dust that settles on food).
Possible transfer through skin contact
Some researchers have considered skin contact as a potential exposure route — for example, dust from synthetic clothing — but they generally consider dermal uptake to be less significant than airways or ingestion.
Researchers continue to document evidence suggesting that everyday clothing is a source of microplastics entering human bodies.
What Happens Once Microplastics Are in the Body — What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Research into human health effects of microplastics is still developing — but early findings raise red flags.
Microplastics have been found in human organs and bodily fluids
Recent studies report detection of microplastics in tissues and organs such as the brain, heart, digestive tract, lymph nodes, placenta — even in fluids like breastmilk and urine.
Potential for inflammation, tissue damage, and cellular changes
Animal and cell studies link microplastic exposure to inflammation, impaired immune response, tissue deterioration, and altered metabolic or cellular function.
Links to respiratory and digestive problems
Inhaled microplastic fibers may accumulate in pulmonary tissues and cause lung irritation, exacerbate asthma or chronic respiratory conditions, or even lead to lung tissue damage (e.g., fibrosis) under chronic exposure.
Via ingestion, microplastics may disrupt gut health — possibly altering intestinal flora, increasing gut permeability, or triggering inflammation.
Emerging but not yet definitive links to long-term disease
Microplastics have been found in arterial plaque, and researchers are investigating whether they affect cardiovascular health. Current evidence is preliminary, and more study is needed.
A recent review also notes possible associations with chronic inflammatory diseases and even cancer — as science remains preliminary.
In sum: the evidence indicates microplastics can get into human tissues and cause biological effects — but how much exposure is dangerous, or over what timeframe, is not yet clear.
Why Clothing — Especially Fast Fashion & Synthetics — Is Such a Big Part of the Problem
Prevalence of synthetics: Estimates suggest that roughly 2/3 of global textile production uses synthetic fibers, a share expected to grow to ~73% by 2030.
Fast fashion’s turnover - 70% of all clothing on the planet is made of plastic: Cheap, mass-produced clothing tends to be worn fewer times (sometimes only a handful before disposal), which means more frequent washing and disposal — and thus more fiber shedding over garments’ short lifespans.
Recycled-plastic clothing isn’t a perfect fix: Many brands tout recycled-plastics clothing to reduce waste — but because recycled textiles are still plastic, they shed microfibers just like brand new synthetics.
Therefore, synthetic clothing — especially in high-turnover fashion — is a persistent source of microplastic pollution, both for the environment and potentially for human health.
What We Can Do — On a Personal and Societal Level
Given the uncertainties but serious red flags, many experts call for precaution. Here are some practical and structural steps to reduce microplastic exposure:
Favor natural fibers when possible: Fabrics like cotton, linen, wool or silk don’t shed plastic microfibers. Reducing reliance on polyester/nylon can lower ongoing release.
Wash less often and more gently: Minimizing washing frequency, using gentler cycles, and avoiding tumble-drying can reduce microfiber shedding.
Push for systemic change: Regulations that require laundry filters, better wastewater treatment, or incentives for non-synthetic textiles could curb microplastic pollution at the source.
Support more research: Because health effects are not yet fully understood, continued scientific study — especially on long-term exposure in humans — is critical.
A Silent, Fabric-Built Risk
Clothing — something we put on every day without a second thought — hides a hidden problem. Synthetic garments continuously shed micro- and nano-plastic fibers throughout their life: during manufacture, while worn, when washed or dried, and finally when disposed of. These particles travel into our water, air, food supply — and increasingly, into our own bodies.
Although research is still in early stages, the detection of microplastics in human organs and fluids, and the links to inflammation, tissue damage, and possible disease risks, suggest this can be a serious public-health issue. At the very least, it calls for a precautionary approach: choosing natural fibers, reducing synthetic clothing consumption, and supporting systemic change to reduce microplastic pollution at its source.