Detrimental Effects of Commonly Used Textile Dyes on the Aquatic Environment and Human Health - a Review

Abstract

Properties and hazards of various dye and pigment families used during textile manufacturing (like yarns, cloths, nonwovens, outerwear, cashmere and rugs) are already reported in the literature. Synthetic organic dyes are currently known as water pollutants. Such dyes are widely used in a variety of industries, including textiles, tanning, cosmetics, and food stuff, as well as in human and veterinary healthcare. They are classified as reactive, dispersed, indigo, azo, sulphur, and basic dyes. They are found in liquid wastes from textile washing and pose a serious risk to the receiving water environment's quality, if not purified. Because of their widespread use and large-scale production, various synthetic dyes have found their way into various parts of the water and soil ecosystems. In fact, because these dyes and pigments are not biodegradable, their presence can cause drastic changes in the ecological conditions of aquatic animals and plants. This will have a negative impact on the aquatic environment's stability, resulting in serious and significant damages (algal blooms, oxygen depletion, colour, turbidity and bad smells), long-term dangers (persistence, bioaccumulation of cancer-causing aromatic products, and emergence of chlorination side products), and carcinogenic and teratogenic effects. This overview picks up scientific information on possible application fields, toxic effects, sources, environmental presence and the eventual demise of synthetic organic dyes, as well as the ecological effects of synthetic natural dyes existence in the general environment.