{"id":9685,"date":"2024-11-05T23:06:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T23:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=9685"},"modified":"2025-03-24T13:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T13:40:08","slug":"bio-based-fibers-may-be-more-harmful-to-the-environment-than-conventional-plastics-study-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/bio-based-fibers-may-be-more-harmful-to-the-environment-than-conventional-plastics-study-reveals\/","title":{"rendered":"Bio-Based Fibers May Be More Harmful to the Environment Than Conventional Plastics, Study Reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A recent study suggests that bio-based fibers, such as viscose and lyocell, may pose a higher risk to earthworms and soil health than traditional polyester fibers.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bio-based materials, often hailed as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, may pose a significant health risk to vital species such as earthworms, according to a new study <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.4c05856\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Environmental Science &amp; Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the University of Bath conducted experiments to compare the effects of conventional polyester fibers against bio-based fibers, including viscose and lyocell, on earthworms. Earthworms play a crucial role in maintaining soil health and biodiversity around the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study showed alarming results: in high concentrations, conventional polyester fibers resulted in a 30% mortality rate among earthworms after 72 hours. In contrast, bio-based fibers led to much higher mortality rates, with 60% of earthworms dying when exposed to lyocell and 80% when exposed to viscose fibers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study also looked at more realistic, environmentally relevant concentrations of these fibers. Earthworms in soils with viscose fibers displayed reduced reproduction rates compared to those exposed to polyester fibers. Additionally, lyocell fibers led to reduced growth and higher burrowing rates among earthworms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead author Winnie Courtene-Jones, formerly a research fellow within the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth and now a lecturer in marine pollution at Bangor University, emphasized the urgent need for further research. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOver 320,000 tonnes of bio-based and biodegradable fibers were produced globally in 2022, and research shows that substantial quantities of that will end up in the environment. However, evidence of their ecological impacts has been lacking. Our study has shown that bio-based fibers have a range of adverse effects on earthworms \u2013 animals which are critical to the functioning of the environment,\u201d Courtene-Jones said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plymouth.ac.uk\/news\/bio-based-fibres-could-pose-greater-threat-to-the-environment-than-conventional-plastics\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. \u201cIt highlights the importance of gathering further evidence before alternatives to conventional plastics are made available even more widely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This study underscores the complex nature of global efforts to combat microplastic pollution and highlights the necessity of thoroughly testing materials touted as eco-friendly alternatives before they penetrate markets worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research arrives on the eve of a critical meeting of world leaders in Busan, South Korea, to discuss the prospective Global Plastics Treaty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior author Richard Thompson, a professor of\u00a0marine biology\u00a0and director of the\u00a0Marine Institute\u00a0at the University of Plymouth, underscored the significance of the findings. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere is increasing interest in alternative materials that could be used as substitutes for plastic, but this publication further emphasizes the importance of testing new innovations in relevant environmental settings prior to widescale adoption,\u201d Thompson said in the news release. \u201cI firmly believe it is possible to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, but independent scientific evidence will be critical in helping us avoid unintended consequences as we look for solutions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This study adds a new dimension to understanding the environmental impacts of materials designed to be more sustainable, urging caution in their adoption until more comprehensive research is completed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bio-based materials, often hailed as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, may pose a significant health risk to vital species such as earthworms, according to a new study published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology. Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the University of Bath conducted experiments to compare the effects of conventional polyester fibers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Bio-based materials, often hailed as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics, may pose a significant health risk to vital species such as earthworms, according to a new study published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology. Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the University of Bath conducted experiments to compare the effects of conventional polyester fibers&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9685"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9754,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9685\/revisions\/9754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}