Domestic dishwashers have been found to release nanoplastic and microplastic pollution into wastewater, according to researchers at the University of Queensland. The study, published in American Chemical Society ES&T Water, discovered that a single dishwasher cycle can release up to 920,000 micro and nano particles from common household plastic items.
The research highlights the need for greater awareness about the impact of daily actions on environmental health. Dr. Elvis Okoffo, lead researcher, noted that even seemingly harmless actions can have significant consequences. “We demonstrated that plastic containers and utensils washed in dishwashers release plastic particles,” he said.
The study found that Australian households alone contribute to a staggering 33 million microplastic particles per year, with the overall plastic mass equating to about 6 milligrams per person annually – roughly a quarter of the weight of a grain of rice. While the total mass released is low compared to other sources of pollution, it still poses a significant environmental risk.
To mitigate this issue, Dr. Okoffo suggested that future appliances be fitted with built-in filters or traps to capture plastic particles and plastic manufacturers develop more resistant plastics. Implementing these measures before pollutant release could be more effective than costly post-release solutions. By making small changes across millions of households, the global burden of plastic pollution can be reduced.
Source: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2025/05/dishwashing-containers-source-of-microplastic-pollution