September 27, 2025

Research Links Synthetic Textiles to Health Risks

Fort Worth, September 27, 2025

News Summary

A TCU senior’s peer-reviewed study reveals connections between synthetic textiles and health risks from microplastic fibers. The research shows how these fibers can enter human organs, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices in the fashion industry. Recommendations include the use of biodegradable finishes and improved filtration systems to mitigate pollution. The study highlights the broader implications for consumer safety and industry standards, as microplastic pollution raises concerns for long-term health impacts.

Fort Worth — A Texas Christian University (TCU) senior’s peer-reviewed research draws direct links between synthetic textiles and potential human health risks from microplastic fibers, highlighting pathways from fiber production to the presence of particles in human organs and calling for sustainable industry responses.

Top lines

TCU senior Adelaide Lovett explored the impact of fashion on health and the environment. Lovett’s study, published in May in the peer-reviewed journal *Textiles*, focused on synthetic fibers and their contribution to microplastic pollution. The study investigates how microplastic fibers can lodge in human organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.

Key findings and immediate implications

Lovett’s published research identifies multiple stages in the lifecycle of synthetic textiles where microplastic fibers are released into ecosystems, including fiber production, textile finishes, laundering, and disposal. The investigation underscores the potential for microscopic synthetic fibers to enter biological systems and be retained in organs, a pathway that raises concerns for long-term health consequences and that warrants additional toxicological and epidemiological study.

Suggested industry responses

The study outlines potential responses available to manufacturers and policymakers, including biodegradable finishes, improved filtration systems, and circular fashion models for recycling fibers. These approaches are framed as technical and systemic options that could reduce the flow of microplastic fibers into the environment at source and during garment use and end-of-life.

Methodology, mentorship and interdisciplinary context

Lovett conducted the research under the mentorship of Charles Freeman, fashion merchandising chair, and Leslie Browning-Samoni, an instructor. Her work combined knowledge from fashion merchandising and psychology, supported by coursework in neuroscience, creating an interdisciplinary approach intended to connect garment science with human health outcomes and consumer behavior.

Lovett aims to connect fashion with psychology, leveraging her dual focus in fashion merchandising and psychology, along with coursework in neuroscience. She previously collaborated with TCU psychology professor Timothy Barth on research regarding ethical and moral decision-making, reflecting a broader pattern of cross-discipline scholarship.

Recognition and related student work

In June, Lovett contributed to a TCU student team that won the 2025 Best Innovation Award at NASA’s Spaceflight Human Optimization Conference in Houston. The TCU student team’s project involved high-performance materials such as Kevlar and polyurethane-coated fabrics for seam samples tested in simulated moon dust. The team created flexible suit seams designed to protect astronauts from hazardous lunar dust without relying on coatings or tape, and Lovett played a key role in sewing initial test pieces and standardizing details for consistency in data collection during the project.

Institutional alignment and broader context

TCU highlights the importance of interdisciplinary work, aligning with its strategic pillar of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities. The university framed Lovett’s investigation as consistent with campus priorities that incentivize student-faculty collaboration and applied scholarship. The study’s emphasis on sustainable practices responds to growing consumer and regulatory pressures for reduced microplastic pollution and safer materials in consumer products.

Why this matters

Addressing environmental and health implications linked to synthetic textiles is presented in the study as crucial for the fashion industry. If microplastic fibers are confirmed to accumulate in human organs, industry stakeholders, regulators, and researchers will need to increase focus on upstream materials choices, manufacturing controls, consumer care instructions, and end-of-life policies to mitigate exposure risks.

Key facts

Texas Christian University (TCU) senior Adelaide Lovett explored the impact of fashion on health and the environment.
Lovett’s study, published in May in the peer-reviewed journal *Textiles*, focused on synthetic fibers and their contribution to microplastic pollution.
The study investigates how microplastic fibers can lodge in human organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.
Lovett’s research was conducted under the mentorship of Charles Freeman, fashion merchandising chair, and Leslie Browning-Samoni, an instructor.
The study outlines how fiber production, textile finishes, laundering, and disposal release particles into ecosystems.
Lovett aims to connect fashion with psychology, leveraging her dual focus in fashion merchandising and psychology, along with coursework in neuroscience.
She has previously collaborated with TCU psychology professor Timothy Barth on research regarding ethical and moral decision-making.
TCU highlights the importance of interdisciplinary work, aligning with its strategic pillar of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
Lovett’s investigation highlights the need for sustainable practices in the fashion industry, responding to consumer and regulatory pressures.
Potential industry responses suggested by the study include biodegradable finishes, improved filtration systems, and circular fashion models for recycling fibers.
In June, Lovett contributed to a TCU student team that won the 2025 Best Innovation Award at NASA’s Spaceflight Human Optimization Conference in Houston.
The team created flexible suit seams designed to protect astronauts from hazardous lunar dust without relying on coatings or tape.
Lovett played a key role in sewing initial test pieces and standardizing details for consistency in data collection during the project.
The TCU student team’s project involved high-performance materials such as Kevlar and polyurethane-coated fabrics for seam samples tested in simulated moon dust.
Lovett described the NASA project as a fulfilling achievement in her educational journey, which also included collaborative efforts with faculty advisors.
The study emphasizes that addressing environmental and health implications linked to synthetic textiles is crucial for the fashion industry.

FAQ

What did the TCU senior study?: Texas Christian University (TCU) senior Adelaide Lovett explored the impact of fashion on health and the environment.
Where was the study published and what did it focus on?: Lovett’s study, published in May in the peer-reviewed journal *Textiles*, focused on synthetic fibers and their contribution to microplastic pollution.
What health risks does the study investigate?: The study investigates how microplastic fibers can lodge in human organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.
Who mentored Lovett’s research?: Lovett’s research was conducted under the mentorship of Charles Freeman, fashion merchandising chair, and Leslie Browning-Samoni, an instructor.
What lifecycle stages release microplastic particles?: The study outlines how fiber production, textile finishes, laundering, and disposal release particles into ecosystems.
Did Lovett receive recognition for other student projects?: In June, Lovett contributed to a TCU student team that won the 2025 Best Innovation Award at NASA’s Spaceflight Human Optimization Conference in Houston.

Key features
Feature	Detail
Researcher	Texas Christian University (TCU) senior Adelaide Lovett explored the impact of fashion on health and the environment.
Publication	Lovett’s study, published in May in the peer-reviewed journal Textiles, focused on synthetic fibers and their contribution to microplastic pollution.
Health concern	The study investigates how microplastic fibers can lodge in human organs such as the heart, lungs, and liver.
Lifecycle sources	The study outlines how fiber production, textile finishes, laundering, and disposal release particles into ecosystems.
Industry responses	Potential industry responses suggested by the study include biodegradable finishes, improved filtration systems, and circular fashion models for recycling fibers.
Related student work	In June, Lovett contributed to a TCU student team that won the 2025 Best Innovation Award at NASA’s Spaceflight Human Optimization Conference in Houston.

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