Laundry‑Driven Microplastic Crop Loss

Synthetic microfibers shed during household laundry can accumulate in agricultural soils via sewage sludge application and, at least in experimental conditions, reduce crop emergence, shrink plant size and delay flowering/ripening. The Cornell/UT study reports an ~11% lower emergence probability for cherry tomatoes and multi‑day phenological delays, while some experts question whether experimental concentrations match field levels. — If household laundry is a meaningful vector for agricultural microplastic contamination, regulators must rethink wastewater treatment, biosolid‑application policy, textile standards, and food‑safety monitoring to avoid an unnoticed route from consumer products to crop productivity and potential food‑chain exposure.