PollyMapAnimal Hair fiber photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
About airborne fiber
A textile, paper or plant fiber captured from air.
Plants that produce it
- Clothing, bedding, carpet and upholstery
- Paper and cardboard
- Plant hairs and trichomes
How to recognize it
Fibers are identified from width, twist, surface scale pattern and how they behave in polarized light. Natural cellulose fibers show a flattened ribbon twist; synthetics are smooth rods of even diameter.
Allergy relevance
Fibers are irritants rather than allergens. Heavy fiber loads point to textile sources and can aggravate airway irritation.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Animal Hair from Arizona.
Present in essentially all indoor air.
Also searched as: fiber under microscope, textile fiber microscope, cellulose fiber identification.
Related fiber specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Animal Hair — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/animal-hair-fiber-arizona-7ab423
Expert discussion
No published comments yet. If you study palynology or mycology, we'd value your read on this specimen.