Fibre-Reinforced Cement as a Source of Microplastics and Their Post-Release Behaviour

The construction industry consumes vast amounts of plastics, but has in recent decades embraced the circular economy principles increasingly. Nevertheless, these materials degrade throughout their life cycle, and represent a non-negligible source of microplastics, contributing to one of today’s major environmental challenges. In this study we investigated the generation and properties of microplastics released from cementitious composites reinforced with polypropylene (PP) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) fibres. The two degradation scenarios (simulated wear and demolition) produced distinct particle size ranges, spanning from long fibres to fine fragments. Cement adhesion to the fibres, governed by their surface morphology and functionalisation, was identified as a factor capable of altering key properties such as the contaminant-dependent density. Complementary leaching experiments showed further that functionalised fibres exhibit a high potential for releasing organic substances. Overall, our findings highlight the need to consider multiple aspects of microplastics derived from fibre-reinforced cement when assessing their environmental implications.