Eco-friendly or eco-threat? The environmental risks of natural and semi-synthetic fibers

Microplastic synthetic fibre pollution from textile products has been a key focus of environmental research since the mid 2000s, with numerous investigations establishing their ubiquity in natural systems and the ecological threats they pose. Natural and semi-synthetic fibres, however, have been largely ignored due to assumptions of their negligible environmental impact and rapid degradation due to their natural material sources. There is, however, growing evidence of widespread pollution by natural and semi-synthetic microfibres, especially in aquatic environments, at levels equivalent to or exceeding those observed for synthetic microfibres. Difficulties in reliable identification and detection of microfibres in environmental samples has limited our knowledge and understanding of their presence, abundance and impacts; yet investigations into the ecological threats posed by these fibres suggest similar or even greater negative impacts on organisms than their synthetic counterparts. Here we briefly summarise the state of this emerging field and stress the importance for future research to focus on quantifying and assessing the threats posed by natural and semi-synthetic microfibre pollution alongside those from synthetic fibres.