Microfibre Filtration Technology Shows Strong Results in Flinders Testing
A single laundry load containing synthetic garments can release thousands of plastic microfibres from materials such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. New laboratory testing at Flinders University has highlighted a promising South Australian solution designed to reduce this growing environmental issue.
Researchers at Flinders evaluated an SA-made washing machine filter and confirmed its ability to capture microplastic and nanoparticle contaminants generated during a typical wash cycle. The testing demonstrated removal of particles as small as 20 micrometres, well below the threshold of human visibility, along with larger microplastic fragments.
“Polyester fibres are among the most common microplastics polluting our environment. Their main source is the textiles we wash every day in households and commercial laundries,” explains Dr Anastasiia Sinirogowa of the Nano and Microplastics Research Consortium (NMRC) at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.
“Our initial trials showed a dramatic reduction of fibres in wash water, demonstrating the strong potential of this technology.”
Further analysis conducted at the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) at Flinders University identified substantial quantities of fibre particles ranging from visible fragments down to microscopic sizes. The filter system was shown to capture a significant proportion of these particles, including both polyester and cellulose fibres.
The research comes as international regulatory pressure increases. Since January 2025, all washing machines sold in France are required to include microplastic filtration under the country’s Anti-Waste Law. Australia continues to address plastic pollution through measures outlined in the National Plastics Plan.
Adelaide-based environmental company The Goodside Project developed the filtration device, aiming to intercept microplastics before they enter waterways. Founder and CEO Karen Jones Hauser says the innovation is part of a broader push to reduce plastic contamination in marine and freshwater ecosystems.
The company is also collaborating with fellow South Australian startup Alkany, which is developing biotechnology that uses bacteria to break down synthetic polymers into compost and biogas. Alkany chief scientist David Thompson notes that biological degradation presents an alternative to landfill and incineration, while enabling material reuse pathways.
Microplastic pollution remains a significant concern for South Australia’s coastal regions, including Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent. Previous Flinders University research examining Adelaide’s urban freshwater streams found microplastics present in every sampled waterway, with fibres representing the dominant form (72%), followed by fragments (17%) and beads (8%).
Alongside filtration technologies, Flinders researchers are advancing new methods to improve nanoplastic capture. Recent work has focused on enhancing cellulose filters using plasma polymer coatings to improve particle affinity and retention.
The study, “Affinity capture of nanoplastics and their thermogravimetric quantification on plasma polymer coated filters” (2025) by Manpreet Kour, Iliana Delcheva, and Melanie MacGregor, was published in Analytica Chimica Acta (Elsevier). DOI: 10.1016/j.acaa.2025.345008.
The authors emphasise that nanoplastics’ persistence and ability to enter the food chain underline the urgency of developing more effective mitigation technologies.
Global plastic production trends reinforce the scale of the challenge. Plastics production doubled between 2000 and 2019, reaching 460 million tonnes annually. Plastic waste generation exceeded 353 million tonnes in 2019, with clothing and textiles accounting for a notable share of short-lifecycle plastic consumption.
Research & reporting: Flinders University
Reference: Analytica Chimica Acta (2025), DOI: 10.1016/j.acaa.2025.345008
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