(At left) Microfiber plastics under the microscope at a NYSG exhibit at a Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House event, Palisades, NY. Credit: Catherine Prunella/NYSG; (At right) A photo of microfibers from laundry water taken during a EcoAmbassadors visit to Columbia’s labs. NYSG extension staff collaborated with Summer 2024 Community Engaged Internship fellows and Columbia’s Climate School to present to this group.
Contact:
Catherine Prunella, NYSG Water Quality Extension Specialist, P: (718) 502-8092, E: cjp275@cornell.edu
A NYSG-Columbia University collaboration is addressing microplastic pollution from textiles with diverse audiences
Bronx, NY, May 27, 2025 - Microplastics are found nearly everywhere scientists look – from remote geographical areas such as Antarctica and the Mariana Trench to everyday items such as bottled water. Increasing research on micro- and nano-plastics in human bodies raises concerns about their potential health effects. Clothing sheds tiny pieces of plastic often referred to as microfibers into laundry wastewater and dryer exhaust, with synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon persisting in waterways without breaking down.
New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and Columbia University are collaborating to address microplastic pollution from textiles. Researchers at Columbia are developing advanced filtration technology to capture microplastics from laundry while NYSG engages the public to raise awareness of this emerging contaminant issue.
In 2024, NYSG conducted interviews in New York City laundromats to shape educational resources on microplastics. The findings informed the creation of a factsheet. At a fall teachers’ conference hosted by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, NYSG trained K-12 teachers to sample laundry water for microplastics. Written feedback from 33 workshop participants revealed that 52% learned clothing and laundry are major sources of microplastic pollution, and 42% were eager to incorporate a microplastic sampling activity into their classrooms. Additionally, NYSG shared the sampling activity at 11 community events across NY to foster increased public awareness of microplastic pollution.
Learn more at www.nyseagrant.org/marinedebris.
This collaborative project is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Grand Challenge Competition via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Project Partners/Funders:
• Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
• North Carolina Sea Grant
• North Carolina State University
• Stony Brook University
• Funding: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
More Info: New York Sea Grant
Established in 1966, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Sea Grant College Program promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources in 34 joint federal/state university-based programs in every U.S. coastal state (marine and Great Lakes) and Puerto Rico. The Sea Grant model has also inspired similar projects in the Pacific region, Korea and Indonesia.
Since 1971, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
NYSG historically leverages on average a 3 to 6-fold return on each invested federal dollar, annually. We benefit from this, as these resources are invested in Sea Grant staff and their work in communities right here in New York.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.
New York Sea Grant, one of the largest of the state Sea Grant programs, is a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University. The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oswego, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark, and in Watertown. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County on Long Island, in Queens, at Brooklyn College, with Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC, in Bronx, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County in Kingston, and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County in Elmsford.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube). NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which it publishes 2-3 times a year.