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This research study made in collaboration between Aquafil Spa and CNR STIIMA (Biella Department) is aimed at the creation of a standard method applicable to the determination of microplastics (MP) in different matrices present in the textile field such as waste water from clothes washings, water effluents or solids from industrial processes, air.

Microlastiche nel comparto acquatico. Il presente documento, nel quale si riassume lo stato dell'arte delle conoscenze sulle microplastiche, con un focus specifico sulle acque dolci: non solo le acque superficiali, come fiumi e laghi, patrimonio ecologico di rilevante importanza, ma anche le acque di falda, le acque reflue ed i processi di potabilizzazione e depurazione. Particolare attenzione è stata posta alle informazioni più utili e concrete quali ad esempio le concentrazioni attuali, i metodi di campionamento, le tecnologie di rimozione, la modellistica predittiva del comportamento e le normative, cercando di dare un quadro esaustivo della 167 Inquinanti Emergenti situazione a livello globale e, quando nota, anche a livello nazionale e regional

The sources of microplastics in the oceans—and in the Mediterranean Sea—are multiple. One of the sources are microplastics that are added to cosmetic products. Several states have adopted national bans on microplastics in rinseoff products. Before EU regulation might accomodate a ban on microplastics in cosmetics, the REACH Regulation has to be amended to include the registration, evaluation and, if necessary, restrict the use of polymers as chemical substance in certain products. Informing consumers about microplastics in cosmetic products, for example by labelling, remains essential as long as there is no ban on microplastics.

A large amount of wool produced in the European region is coarse and of low quality. The limited or nonutilization of such coarse wool leads to landfilling causing environmental pollution. The chemical transformation of wool carried out was based on a green economically sustainable hydrolysis treatment using superheated water. The hydrolyzed product was analyzed using amino acid analysis and molecular weight distribution. Both the amino acid and molecular weight distribution analysis revealed that the wool was completely degraded and the hydrolyzed product contains a low molecular weight proteins and amino acids. Then, we studied the properties of this keratin hydrolyzate, to be used as a foaming agent in foam dyeing of cotton and wool fabrics. We report the use of keratin hydrolyzate as a foaming auxiliary in the textile dyeing process. The surface tension, foam stability, blow ratio, and bubble size of keratin hydrolyzate in aqueous solutions with and without dyeing auxiliaries were determined. The dyeing influential parameter such as wet pickup was studied to identify their effect on dye fixation and color strength. The foam dyeing was compared with conventional cold-pad batch and pad-steam processes for cotton and wool, respectively. In the investigated variant, keratin hydrolyzate shows a reduction in surface tension, good foam stability along with dyeing auxiliaries, a blow ratio of about 10:1, and 0.02-0.1 mm diameter bubble sizes. These results make possible its application as a foaming agent. Cotton and wool fabrics were dyed using reactive and acid dyes respectively, on a horizontal padding mangle. In both cases, hydrolyzed keratin acts as a carrier for dye molecules and the mechanism of dyeing depends on the respective pH of the dye solution, keratin, and fiber. Foam dyeing of cotton resulted in comparable color strength, while wool shows higher color strength when compared with conventional dyeing processes. Washing and rubbing fastness of cotton and wool foam dyed fabrics are similar to the respective conventional dyed fabrics. The combinations of sustainable keratin hydrolyzate production and its use as an eco-friendly, biodegradable foaming agent in less add on foam dyeing technology resulted not only in saving of large amounts of water and energy but also will be helpful in minimizing a load on effluent and the environment. A new approach of coloration of wool was also tried using wool hydrolysate as a color in a dying bath and different shades were obtained using mordants.

Sheep's wool was used as a natural source to prepare keratin microfibril sponges for scaffolding, by disruption of the histological structure of the fibres through mild alkali treatment, followed by ultrasonication, casting and salt-leaching. The wool sponges showed highly interconnected porosity (93%) and contain intrinsic sites of cellular recognition that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). They displayed good thermal and water stability due to the conversion of disulphide cystine bonds into shorter monosulphide lanthionine intermolecular bonds, but significantly swelled in water, because of the high hydrophilicity and porosity, with a volume increasing up to 38%. Nevertheless, sponges were stable in water without structural changes, with a neutral pH in aqueous media, and showed excellent resilience to repeated compression stresses. According to in vitro biocompatibility assays, wool fibril sponges showed a good cell adhesion and proliferation as proved by MTT, FDA assays and SEM observations. The unique structure of the cortical cell network made by wool keratin proteins with controlled-size macro-porosity suitable for cell guesting, and nutrient feeding, provides an excellent scaffold for future tissue engineering applications.

Microplastics represent a new and very alarming source of pollution for marine environment. Classified as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, they mainly derive from the deterioration of scraps of large dimensions, from abrasives or from cosmetics. However, in 2011, another source was identified in the domestic and industrial washing processes of synthetic clothes. The real impact of this newly discovered source of microplastics is not clear yet, so quantitative investigations are highly necessary. For this purpose, the present work aims to assess the role of domestic and industrial washing processes of synthetic clothes, on the release of microfibres. Firstly, standard fabrics were washed simulating both industrial and domestic washing processes, using different detergents and washing conditions. The washing liquor was then filtered and the filters were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A specific counting method was set up to evaluate the amount of microfibres contained in each filter. Secondly, several finishing treatments were applied on the fabrics to prevent or reduce the amount of microplastics released during the washing process. The obtained results identified the best detergents, washing conditions and treatments to use in order to mitigate the impact of such source of pollutants.

Cellulose micro and nanofibrils were prepared from hemp fibers by means of a chemical/mechanical treatment and ultrasonication in water suspension. A sol-gel treatment with dimethyldiethoxysilane (MSDS) or titanium (IV) isopropoxide as precursors was developed to avoid the issue of the irreversible aggregation of the fibrils after drying (process known as "hornification"), which results in a material that is not suitable for composite applications. Polycaprolactone composites with 5% dried fibrils were compounded using a Mini extruder. The composites reinforced with cellulose fibrils showed an increase of the storage modulus (stiffness of the composite). Loss modulus (E'') also increased substantially with the addition of hemp fibrils. The reaction of silane on the surface of hemp fibrils prevented hornification in some extent, allowing an effective distribution of the cellulose fibrils in the polymer matrix

The grafting of methacrylamide (MAA) onto silk has taken importance not only as weighting process but also as finishing operation to improve the properties of the silk fibers. It was confirmed that the MAA monomer concentration, the initiator amount, and the liquor ratio are the major parameters affecting the yield of the reaction. Varying these parameters, a large number of samples, i.e., silk yarns with different grafting yields and exhaust grafting baths with different residual MAA concentrations, were obtained. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used for the quantitative determination of MAA in silk yarns and MAA in exhaust baths after grafting. A correlation between silk yarns grafting yield and NIR spectra of MAA grafted yarns was obtained. This correlation shows a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96 and a standard error of calibration (SEC) of 8.37 w/w for a mean value (M) of 31.82% w/w. A second correlation between MAA in exhaust grafting baths and NIR spectra was obtained. This correlation shows a R2 of 0.95 and a SEC of 2.93 g/L for a M of 17.16 g/L. Previous correlations were improved using silk samples cleaned by extraction of sizing agents and detergents which could interfere with MAA grafting and modify absorption spectra of bath solutions. VC

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