We expect the laundry to take the dirt out of our clothing and leave the clothing behind. But fibers get out through the washing process, and it appears they can make it all the way to the ocean.
found small bits of plastic in razor clams and oysters on the Oregon coast, and many of the bits appear to be microfibers from synthetic clothing. All of the sites where clams and oysters were taken showed the fibers. Researchers Britta Baechler and Elise Granek are still piecing together the implications; they visit with an overview.