Research shows that many of the 

microplastics in our bodies come from the

air we breathe – not just from drinking bottled water or eating fish from
polluted oceans. Due to their small size, microplastics can be inhaled and may
induce a wide range of diseases including respiratory and cardiovascular
diseases, as well as cancer.

More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year. Half of that
plastic becomes trash in less than a year. Out of the plastics produced, only
9% is recycled; the remaining 91% enters the air, land and water as waste.
Parts end up in our lungs. And they stay in the lung tissue or enter the blood
stream as the body is not able to rid itself of the tiny plastic particles. Babies
who crawl on the floor are the most vulnerable, and children more generally
are most at risk as their respiratory systems are still under development.

Concentration of airborne microplastics higher in indoor air

Microplastics have been found in both indoor and outdoor air. However,
the concentration in indoor air is higher than outdoors, according to research
presented in 2018 by École Nationales des Ponts et Chaussées.

Microplastics in the indoor air result from the fragmentation through friction,
heat or light of plastic objects found in our homes. These include toys,
furniture, plastic bags, cosmetics, toothpaste and scrubs. Showering with a
body scrub alone may flush 100,000 microplastic beads into the wastewater
system and on into the air, says the Environmental Audit Committee in Britain,
which banned microbead use in January 2018, following the lead of the US,
Canada and New Zealand.

The majority of microplastics found in the indoor air, however, comes from
plastic fibres released from synthetic clothing and textiles used in home
furnishings. These microplastic fibres tend to be longer and therefore more
harmful when inhaled. Today, synthetic materials, such as acrylic, nylon,
polyester, make up some 60% of global textile production.

When washing these textiles, microplastic fibers are released and end up in
the wastewater due to lack of good filtration. Washing a fleece jacket, for
instance, releases up to 250,000 microplastic fibers into the
wastewater, according to a 2016 study by the Bren School of Environmental
Science & Management at the University of California Santa Barbara. Sadly,
most wastewater treatment facilities do not have filters to remove
microplastics from so-called ‘treated’ water either.
High human health risks

The full health effects of breathing microplastics are not yet entirely
understood. But research proves that the threat to human health is high. Once
inhaled, these tiny particles go into the deep lungs where they may induce
lesions in the respiratory systems. The smallest particles can also pass into
the bloodstream and cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,
induce cancer and affect the human immune and nervous system.
Microplastics found in lung tissue indicate that the body is not able to rid itself
of all particles – i.e. that the microplastics are bio-persistent.
Airborne microplastics may also carry other toxic pollutants found in the air,
from bacteria to traffic emissions, into the bloodstream from the lungs.

Children most at risk

Children are more active and breathe more rapidly than adults, taking in more
air in relation to their body weights. This makes them more vulnerable.
Children are also more at risk as their respiratory system are still developing.

Babies and toddlers spend more time playing on the floor, where microplastics
settle in the form of dust. Moreover, small children play with, and may even
chew on plastic toys, putting them at a higher risk. Researchers studying
Tehran’s urban dust found that children may swallow as many as 3,200 plastic
particles a year. A baby’s first exposure to these particles may, however,
already take place before birth, as microplastics have been found in the
placenta.

More research is needed to better understand the impact of airborne pollution

on human health. In December 2017, the United Nations signed a resolution
to stop the flow of plastic waste into the oceans. Its next – and perhaps
greater – challenge is to persuade member nations to sign a new resolution to
stop the flow of plastic waste into the air.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative

Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License,
and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

Written by

Kevin Luo, PhD, Particle Deposition in the Human Respiratory System, Royal Institute
of Technology, Sweden @BlueairGlobe

Hierarchy

Pile Fabrics Introduction of Fabric :  Definition: A definition of the term pile is a surface effect on a
fabric composed of an infinite number of loops of warp threads, or else of an infinite number of free
ends of wither weft, warp or filling, threads that stand erect from the foundation or ground structure
of cloth. In looped pile the loops are uncut, in cut pile the same or similar loops are cut, either in the
loom during weaving or by a special machine after the cloth leaves the loom.  Classification of pile
fabrics : I. Warp pile : cut loops (velvet ) Uncut or loop pile (terry toweling) II. Weft pile : cut
(velveteen & corduroy) Warp pile fabrics : If the pile thread used as a warp thread then called warp
pile fabric. Terry toweling is one of the warp pile class. All carpets are warping pile fabric. Carpet
may be loop pile and cut pile. Mainly cut piles are used to produce design.  Weft pile fabrics : The
pile weft is cut in a separate operation after weaving resulting in a surface consisting of short and
very dense tufts. In weft pile structures ,also known as velveteen’s is very high density of picks,
which may reach to 200 picks per centimeters.  Care of pile fabrics: According to the pile fabrics
products, there are some symbol which are given to follow the care of that fabrics. Some symbol are
given below – A terry towel is a textile product which is made with pile loops on one or both sides
covering the entire ground surface or forming pile strips, pile checks, or other pile patterns (with
hemming end or with firm selvedges). Turkish Toweling fabrics structures form a class of warp pile
termed terry pile in which certain warp threads form loops or curls on the face of the cloth. We may
use one weft and two series of warp threads placed on two warp beams are necessary for the
production of this cloth. Cashmere Towels are made of Superior Ring Spun Quality Yarn. They are
soft and luxurious and will provide a sense of comfort to your valued guests. Cashmere Towels are
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The terry pile is a warp pile structure that has loops on its surface that
are formed by certain warp ends. Terry piles are constructed by using
one series of weft threads and two series of warp threads; one for the
ground and the other for the pile. The ground warp interlaces with the
ground weft to form the ground cloth. This ground cloth holds the
loops formed by the pile ends and allows the looped portion to project
on the fabric surface. The loops may be single sided (face) or double
sided (face and back). Fig. 2.3 shows the different types of terry
structures, schematically.
Sign in to download full-size image
Fig. 2.3.  Schematic diagram of various types of terry structures. (A) Single

side terry, (B) both side terry, (C) alternate single side terry, and (D) alternate both

side terry.

In Fig. 2.3, A shows a single-sided terry, B shows a double-sided

continuous terry structure, C shows a pile thread alternating between
the face and the back that permits the formation of pile figure on
exposed ground, while at D the structure shows that ornamentation is
carried out by having two differently coloured sets of threads mutually
alternating between the face and the back thus forming a figure in one
colour on the background of another. All the structures apart from A
are reversible.
Loop geometry is associated with the profile of the loops on the finished fabrics. In some fabrics,
the loops remain unchanged after finishing while in some fabrics the loops gets twisted and lose
their original shape after finishing.
Classic terry
The loop geometry shown in Fig. 2.5 is that of the classic terry. These types of loops do not
change their shape after finishing. They are made from the two or more ply pile yarns. The
aesthetic appearance of this type of fabrics is better as compared to the fashion terry because of
the loop uniformity.
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Fig. 2.5.  Classic terry.

Fashion terry
The loop geometry shown in Fig. 2.6 is that of fashion terry. These types of loops change their
shape after finishing. They are made from the one ply pile yarns. The aesthetic appearance of this
type of fabric is poor as compared to classic terry because of the loop distortion. However, the
compression and softness of fashion terry fabrics are better than classic terry fabrics.

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Fig. 2.6.  Fashion terry.

2.4.1.3 According to loop disposition

Terry fabric can be classified according to the placement of the loops on the fabric's surface.
These variants of fabric are produced keeping in mind the product cost and its application
performance. They are of two types.
Single side terry
In this type of fabric, the terry loops protrude on one side of the fabric. The other side of the
fabric remains plane. The pile loops can be entirely on one side of the fabric or they can
interchanges alternately on the face and back of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 2.7. This type of
fabric is generally sold at low cost as that of the fabric is also low.

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Fig. 2.7.  Single side terry.

Double side terry

In this type of fabric, the terry loops protrude on both side of the fabric (Fig. 2.8). The cost of the
fabric is high. The performance of the fabric is better as compared to the single-side terry.

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 Fig. 2.8.  Double side terry.

2.4.1.4 According to surface modification

The surface modification refers to the change in the surface feel and appearance by cutting the
loops. The terry fabric can be divided in two groups.
Sheared terry fabric
The loops produced during weaving are cut by mechanical means making pile yarn ends open
(Fig. 2.9). These open ends make the fabric surface more smooth and produce a velvet effect.

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Fig. 2.9.  Sheared terry fabric.

Nonsheared terry fabric

The loops produced during weaving are left in their original form, so that the fabric surface
remains covered with the loops only (Fig. 2.10). This is the most popular type of terry fabric and
around 84% of the total production of the terry fabric belongs to this class.

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Fig. 2.10.  Nonsheared terry.

2.4.1.5 According to end uses

The major application of terry fabrics is as terry towel. These can be classified as home towels
and beach towels. Home towels are normally nonsheared, ie, loops are not cut, whereas beach
towels are normally sheared. All types of towels are shown in Fig. 2.11
P

G1

G2

X
X
X
G1 P G2 p
Single side Face Terry

P1

G1

G2

P2

X
X
X
X
X
X
G1 P1 G2 P2
Double Side 3-Pick Terry
Terrycloth, terry cloth, terry cotton, terry towelling, terry, terry towel or simply towelling is
a fabric woven with many protruding loops of thread which can absorb large amounts of water. It can
be manufactured by weaving or knitting. Terrycloth is woven on special looms that have two beams
of longitudinal warp through which the filler or weft is fired laterally.[1][2] The first industrial production
of terrycloth towels was initiated by the English manufacturer Christy in 1850.