2025-LU11 Reconstructing fashion’s plastic transition in the lake sediment record to inform a greener fashion future

Project highlights

This project challenges assumptions of natural textile fibre degradability in the environment, and the associated promotion of these fibres as green alternatives to their plastic analogues.

Employing interdisciplinary methodologies, this project will equip the successful applicant with a variety of environmental science research skills to understand society’s historic environmental footprint from one of the world’s largest industries, and link this to other human impacts in lakes and reservoirs (e.g. eutrophication, climate change).

Project outcomes aim to inform policy developments in the environmental sector and textiles industry, and inform public behaviour.

Overview

Microplastic fibres (MFs) are the most abundant microplastic shape in the environment (Le Guen et al. 2019). Released from the production, day-to-day wear and washing of garments, MFs have been preserved in freshwater sediments since the mid-twentieth century. However, an emerging field of environmental science is reporting a dominance of natural fibres (NFs) of cellulosic (e.g. cotton) and animal (e.g. wool) origin in present-day environments globally (Stanton et al. 2019).

NFs are introduced to the environment via the same mechanisms as MFs and present the same physical and chemical risks (Stanton et al. 2023). However, their environmental history and impacts have not yet been quantified, despite their use and emission long pre-dating MF’s relatively recent history of production and pollution.

Although NFs are frequently marketed as ‘green’ and ‘biodegradable’ alternatives to plastic-fibred garments, they undergo extensive processing and chemical treatment to introduce colour and change their physical properties (Stanton et al. 2024). These processes influence the degradability of natural textile fibres. Recent inclusion of NFs in ecotoxicological assessments of textile fibre toxicity has also quantified comparable toxicological affects between plastic and natural textile fibres (Siddiqi et al. 2023). There is therefore a pressing need to understand the environmental prevalence, persistence, and impact of textile fibres of all types, not just plastic, to inform best practice for this industry and its consumers.

This PhD will explore the presence and prevalence of textile fibres of all types in UK aquatic sediment records across catchments with varying land-uses. This will include sites across the UK with known histories of wastewater treatment, textile manufacturing, and river connectivity. It will inform discourses of sustainable fashion; use environmental reconstructions to understand environmental legacies of contemporary textile manufacturing; and consider the timescales that plastic and natural textile fibres are able to act as indicators of anthropogenic activity. The successful applicant will develop interdisciplinary field, laboratory, and analytical skills. In addition, dissemination of research findings will integrate diverse science communication methodologies into this research programme, and there is scope within the project and supervisory team to further integrate environmental social science methodologies as the successful applicant desires.

Figure 1: Loch Leven (A) is a Scottish loch with a detailed history of textile fibre sources, and a potential site for this PhD. This figure shows changes in textile fibre sources at an inflow to Loch Leven since 1854, including a woollen mill (blue ovals, (B-E)), a linen mill (purple ovals, (C,D)), historic wastewater treatment (orange ovals, (C,D)), and contemporary wastewater treatment (pink ovals, (A, E)). This PhD will explore whether changes in textile fibres, and their associated proxies, preserved in lake sediments reflect historic changes in textile industries and wastewater management (F) at sites across the UK. Inset maps from Ordnance Survey (A, E) (© Crown copyright and database rights 2023 Ordnance Survey (AC0000851941)) and Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland (B-D).

Host

Loughborough University

Theme

Climate and Environmental Sustainability

Supervisors

Project investigator

Dr Tom Stanton, Loughborough University: [email protected]

Co-investigators

Prof. Dave Ryves, Loughborough University: [email protected]
Prof. Paul Roach, Loughborough University: [email protected]

How to apply

Each host has a slightly different application process.
Find out how to apply for this studentship.
All applications must include the CENTA application form.
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Methodology

Textile fibres will be quantified in sediment cores taken from lakes in northern England and Scotland. These will include downstream of historic centres of textile industries, lakes with detailed documented histories of receiving wastewater treatment effluent, and lakes with no history of wastewater treatment influent. Deployment of automatic water samplers at some sites will assess the distribution and movement of fibres throughout the water column. Additional complementary proxies of anthropogenic activity (e.g., diatoms, heavy metals) will also be explored.

Sediment cores will be collected using a gravity corer. Multiple cores will be collected from each site to ensure sufficient sediment for 210Pb dating as well as fibre extraction.

This PhD will refine low / no chemical methodologies for fibre extraction from sediments that have been developed by the supervisory team. Fibre identification will use polarised light and scanning electron microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy, among other analytical techniques as appropriate.

Training and skills

DRs will be awarded CENTA Training Credits (CTCs) for participation in CENTA-provided and ‘free choice’ external training. One CTC can be earned per 3 hours training, and DRs must accrue 100 CTCs across the three and a half years of their PhD.

This PhD will provide comprehensive experience of multiple field, laboratory, and analytical skills. Collection of aquatic sediment cores will be complemented by training in standard paleolimnology methodologies for sediment processing and dating. Contemporary lake monitoring skills will be gained through the monitoring of textile fibres through the lake water column (sediment traps). Analytical techniques will be taught through optical (polarised light) microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-Transform infrared micro-spectroscopy methods. Training in environmental statistics and science communication will also be provided, equipping the student with analytical and communication skills that are relevant beyond the PhD’s focus.

Further details

For further information about this project, please contact Dr Tom Stanton ([email protected]) or Prof Dave Ryves ([email protected]).

To apply to this project: 

You must include a CENTA studentship application form, downloadable from: CENTA Studentship Application Form 2025.

You must include a CV with the names of at least two referees (preferably three) who can comment on your academic abilities.

Please submit your application and complete the host institution application process via: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/research-applications/ The CENTA Studentship Application Form 2025 and CV, along with other supporting documents required by Loughborough University, can be uploaded at Section 10 “Supporting Documents” of the online portal. Under Section 4 “Programme Selection” the proposed study centre is Central England NERC Training Alliance. Please quote CENTA 2025-LU11 when completing the application form.

For further enquiries about the application process, please contact the School of Social Sciences & Humanities ([email protected]).

Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 8th January 2025. 

Possible timeline

Year 1

Year 1 will focus on training in core practical skills for this PhD (sampling, sample processing, sample analysis). Training will focus on analytical methods (optical microscopy, polarised light microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy) for fibre identification, and the methods used to isolate natural fibres from aquatic sediments using existing sediment archives. Year 1 will also be used to identify sample locations, seek necessary permissions, and complete required health and safety training and research risk assessments. Sediment core collection will begin at the end of year 1. Sediment traps will also be deployed at the end of year 1.

Year 2

Year 2 will complete sediment core collection and use methods refined in year 1 to isolate textile fibres from sample material and complete additional sediment analysis (e.g. 210Pb dating). The majority of the quantification of textile fibres from sediment cores will take place in year 2. Training in statistical techniques will also be completed in year 2. Sediment traps will be retrieved throughout year two, and samples processed and analysed as they are collected.

Year 3

Year 3 will see the completion of the analysis of environmental samples, and the analysis and interpretation of the data generated. Science communication training in year 3 will ensure that the findings of this research are disseminated across relevant audiences (academic, public, industry, government).