SGS Launches Service to Analyze Microfiber Release from Synthetic Garments
With increasing international acknowledgement of the toxic threat posed by microplastics and microfibers, SGS has developed a new service to analyze the release of microfibers from synthetic garments during domestic laundering.
- (1888PressRelease) April 28, 2017 - SGS has announced the introduction of a new testing service to assess the amount of microfibers released by garments during normal domestic laundering. Developed by SGS, the results gained by this form of analysis can be used to assess the fiber-releasing properties of different items of clothing.
By subjecting their garments to SGS's new microfiber analysis test, businesses will be able to:
• Pinpoint and compare the fiber-releasing properties of different garments
• Assess and compare the processing parameters that may affect microfiber release. e.g. how fiber raising and fabric brushing affects microfiber release
Businesses will be able to use this data to adjust processing considerations in order to minimize the quantities of microfibers being released during washing.
Microplastics, of which microfibers are now identified as a significant subset, are increasingly being recognized as a potential source of toxicity for animals that ingest them. Animals, especially marine animals, mistake the microplastics for food, leading to interruptions to their normal feeding patterns, digestion problems and the leaching of chemicals, such as dyes and chemicals, into the host creatures. Particular concern is being raised about the threat to human-health as the toxicity can become concentrated in the marine creatures we consume.
In addition to being sources of toxicity in themselves, microplastics can also act as a 'vector' to absorb persistent organic pollutants and endocrine disruptors from the external environment. These are then absorbed into the bodies of the marine organisms which consume them, before being transferred to the people who eat the fish.
Microplastics are defined as small plastic particles, generally smaller than 5mm in size, which are released into the environment. Due to their size, some are even microscopic, these microplastics are easily distributed around the globe - ending up on beaches, in surfaces waters and seabed sediments, as well as a wide variety of invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.
Currently, there is no international law regulating the release of microfibers from textile products but, with increasing recognition of the potentially harmful effects of their release, global concerns are being raised about the quantity of synthetic garments being manufactured.
SGS Softlines Services
With a global network of over 40 laboratories, and a dedicated team of experts from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, SGS provides internationally accredited state-of-the-art testing services to the textiles and garments industries. They offer a comprehensive range of physical, chemical and functional testing services for components, materials and finished products, and help businesses ensure quality, performance and compliance with international, industrial and regulatory standards. Learn more about SGS's Softlines Services. (www.sgs.com/softlines)
SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full Microfiber Pollution Caused by Domestic Laundering of Synthetic Garments SafeGuardS. (www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/04/safeguards-06117-microfibre-pollution-caused-by-domestic-laundering-of-synthetic-garments)
Subscribe here, www.sgs.com/subscribesg, to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.
For further information contact:
Louann Spirito
Director Technical Support, Softlines
Tel: +1 973 461 7919
Email: cts.media ( @ ) sgs dot com
Website: www.sgs.com/softlines
About SGS
SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world.
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