Blog Post 4: Fabric Dyeing

Nina Ibarria
Blog Post 4
Fabric Dyeing



The textile industry is responsible for being one of the largest water footprints on the planet and dyeing these textiles pose an extremely big problem. Dye houses in India and China are notorious for not only exhausting local water supplies, but for dumping untreated wastewater into local streams and rivers. Unfortunately, increased demand for textile products and the constant increase in their production, and the use of synthetic dyes all together contribute to dye wastewater becoming one of the substantial sources of severe pollution problems in current times.

Did you know there is an estimated 8,000 synthetic chemicals used to bleach, treat, and brighten our clothes that pose the problem?  According to Greenpeace, the most frequently used chemical additives in the dyeing and finishing process are dangerous to human health, marine life, and the environment. Azo dyes in particular account for 60 to 70 percent of all dyes in the textile industry, and are responsible for high intensity hues such as bright reds and blues. Once broken down and metabolized, they are a known carcinogenic and do not dissipate, but evaporate into the air we breathe or are absorbed through our skin. Contact with these dyed synthetics trigger allergic reactions such as skin irritation, rashes and actually increase our risk of cancer

For example, in 2011 Northern China experienced this when the Jian river turned red as the result of an illegal dye dump from a local chemical plant that produces these dyes. This not only resulted in extreme health reports by local residents and farmers but also killed all the fish in the river. This also left farmers unable to grow crops in surrounding areas due to toxic soil. The all-around environmental impact of the dyeing process is extremely significant and the laws that are in place, have been seen to be not well enforced, such as in the China Jian river case.

In the infographic above by ColorZen, displays a visual production process of dying one single garment. An average t-shirt will use 20+ liters of water, which means that on average, the global textile industry discharges 40,000 – 50,000+ tons of dye into the water system. Not only is the dumping of chemicals harmful for fish but for the entire food chain. The main concern with dyes is the absorption and reflection of sunlight entering the waters in which the chemicals are dumped. Light absorption diminishes photosynthetic activity of algae, the base of the food chain, thus, affecting every organism above the chain. The lack and harm of algae is one of the main reasons that the aquatic life and local animals that feed from the fish suffer. In terms of humans, these toxic chemicals are often absorbed into the skin, especially when one’s body is warm and skin pores have opened to allow perspiration. This absorption has been shown to cause significant health effects, such as an increase in tumors, allergies such as contact dermatitis and respiratory diseases, allergic reaction in eyes, skin irritation, and irritation to mucous membrane and the upper respiratory tract. These diseases are most prevalent in the workers who are dyeing the clothes as they are around the chemicals all day as well as the local residents surrounded by these dyeing plants and toxic waters.

 

So, what can we do to prevent such toxic chemicals such as alkyl phenols, azo dyes, and phthalates? I propose treating clothes with dyes made from organic materials, rather than chemical treatments. These treatments are both safer for the environment and for the workers. Natural dyes are made from plant and animal sources, such as indigo, cutch, weld, madder and cochineal. The natural dyes can create similar, if not better, colors to those made synthetically, but the benefits to health and the environment allow them to be an effective choice being that they have a carbon neutral footprint. Also, this process is perfect to be made at an artisanal level, which would promote smaller businesses opportunities and perhaps more local awareness.

On a grander scale, brands producing garments at high volume such as fast fashion companies need to take charge in leading the global change and change the fabric dying process. Companies such as ColorZen and AirDye are introducing new ways to dye fabric and reduce some of the water waste. While AirDye was developed for synthetic fabrics in particular and uses air to transfer dye onto the fabric, whereas ColorZen modifies cotton’s actual molecular structure, allowing dye to settle into the fabric without the need for toxic fixing agents and massive water discharge.  Both of these processes embed dye within the fibers instead of merely coating them traditionally, which in turn results in brighter, crisper colors. Why not get better colored garments, better drinking water, fertile soil, no health issues, and potential jobs? Let’s take a stand and promote these overarching beneficial alternatives of fabric dyeing.

These fabrics are not to dye for.

Source:
Farah Maria Drumond Chequer, Gisele Augusto Rodrigues de Oliveira, Elisa Raquel Anastácio Ferraz, Juliano Carvalho Cardoso, Maria Valnice Boldrin Zanoni and Danielle Palma de Oliveira (2013). Textile Dyes: Dyeing Process and Environmental Impact, Eco-Friendly Textile Dyeing and Finishing, Dr. Melih Gunay (Ed.), InTech, DOI: 10.5772/53659. Available from: https://www.intechopen.com/books/eco-friendly-textile-dyeing-and-finishing/textile-dyes-dyeing-process-and-environmental-impact