PCT Mini Project "Amphiphilic textile fibre environmental fate and impacts"

Microfibres, small fibres < 5 mm in length with high length to width ratios, are often the most common microplastics found in the environment and biota and are commonly shed from textiles. An important reason for the persistence and accumulation of many petroleum-based (plastic) microfibres is their hydrophobic nature-the particles are repelled by water.  Already, microplastics and microfibres have been shown to impact the sinking rates and formation of marine snows; accumulations of organic matter that provide important nutrients to the marine food web as they sink down towards the bottom sediments.

The project "Amphiphilic textile fibre environmental fate and impacts" aims to understand how the production of novel hydrophilic (water-attractant) from traditionally hydrophobic polymers might reduce textile environmental impacts and the ingestion of microfibres by marine organisms. The project is led by Professor Tamara Galloway (University of Exeter, Future Fibres Network+) with Professor Stephen Russell (University of Leeds and Back to baselines), Professor Xin Ning (Qingdao University, China) and collaborators at these universities. The project fits the core cross-cutting network themes of implementing design to reduce the environmental impacts of textiles.

Researchers at Qingdao University supplied the materials which are currently undergoing physical fibre testing and characterisation. The University of Exeter team are currently adding cut fibres to form the marine snows for later testing.

The project is one of the projects funded by the PCT and will conclude in early 2026.

Collaborate with the FFN+ Noticeboard!

Whether you're a  scientist, designer, researcher or business expert in manufacturing,  supply chain or marketing, you can now access our cross-disciplinary network of specialists. Check this out on our website here. If you would like to submit a post please send this to: ffnplus@exeter.ac.uk with the subject 'Noticeboard Submission'. 

PRISM Network Conference

Jacqui Richards, Future Fibres Network + Project Manager, attended the PRISM (Professional Research and Investment Strategy Managers) Network event at the University of Warwick last week.  The theme of the event was 'Navigating Career Pathways Together’.  The agenda was threefold: to improve national recognition and value of professional service support teams; to aid career progression for Research Professionals (those who support and administer projects and their academic teams) and to offer training and development opportunities.  The long-term aim is for all research institutions to adopt a national PRISM career framework.  To make this a reality UKRI recently awarded £4.4m of funding for Research Professionals to a 5-year project that is led by Teeside University and Imperial College.  It was an exciting and inspiring day.

ECR Circular Seminar Series - Career Journeys with Professor Tamara Galloway 

Join us for an inspiring session with Professor Tamara Galloway, a world-leading expert in ecotoxicology and marine pollution research. With ground-breaking work linking environmental pollutants to human health and advancing sustainable materials, Professor Galloway will share insights from her journey — from pioneering research to earning an OBE for her contributions to science. In this special ECR seminar on career progression, learn how to build a meaningful and impactful career, navigate challenges, and lead with purpose in a changing world.

The session will take place on ZOOM (not Microsoft Teams). Please see the poster attached to this email for details.  Please contact Abigail Irving-Munro for more questions and links at a.irving-munro@northumbria.ac.uk.

The Hidden Trade-Offs in B Impact Assessment by Ruth Cherrington, Marco Campenni, Danielle Farrow

B Corporation (B Corp) certification has emerged as a prominent framework for measuring and validating corporate social and environmental performance. This paper examines how different parts of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) influence overall performance and shape sustainability strategies in certified organisations. Using a combination of data analysis, interviews and a custom-built agent-based model (ABM), we explore how organisations approach impact improvement. The model shows that most B Corps follow either random or small-step (incremental) strategies, with few taking a focused, joined-up approach. Customer-related practices have the strongest effect on overall scores, while governance and environmental areas lag behind. These findings can help B Corps identify weaker areas, move beyond fragmented efforts and align with new B Lab requirements that expect stronger, cross-cutting impact strategies.

You can read the paper here.