Red, blue, orange, turquoise, magenta, grey – the list of colours that clothes come in nowadays is endless, and with good reason too. These brightly coloured, visually attractive pieces of cloth result in a global textiles industry that is worth more than $400 billion.
Dyes are indispensable to this industry. Yet economic success is the only kind of success that it has brought it. Viewed from a health and environmental perspective, the dyeing process has caused more harm than good.
Harm to factory workers: Toxic chemicals
Many toxic chemicals are used in the dying process. Some are carcinogenic, and can cause harm to the people working in the dye factories. Anililine, for one, is used extensively in the production of certain types of dyes. The vapour it releases is toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Other chemicals that are used in the production of dyes are dioxin, toxic heavy metals like chrome, copper and zinc, as well as formaldehyde.
In present times, the risks for dye factory employees have not changed much. In the United States, these factory workers are at greater risk of death from cancer, cerebrovascular disease and lung disease as compared to the general population.
Harm to the environment: Pollution
Industrial effluents that are released into waterways can contain traces of the above mentioned chemicals, even if they have been treated. In countries where people depend on the waterway to provide drinking water and water for daily usage, like cooking and bathing, the polluted water can increase their risk of contracting cancer and other diseases.
The polluted water can also kill fishes and other aquatic life in the water body. Again this has implications for the people living downstream, the most pressing of which is that they will find their fish catches decreasing dramatically, affecting their livelihoods and nutrition.
Such an incident happened in southern China in 2007. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Fuan Textiles Mill was illegally dumping close to 22,000 tons worth of untreated waste water into a nearby river, turning the river dark red. To make things worse, China’s textile industry uses not only the usual heavy metals and carcinogens, but organic materials like starch as well.
When introduced into a water body, the breakdown of these compounds by decomposers can suck all the oxygen out of the river, killing fish and other life. The reason for the illegal dumping was startling: In an attempt to further lower prices in a competitive market, both for itself and for the companies it supplies, which included Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Nike Inc., Fuan Textiles Mill was attempting to cut costs by eliminating the treatment of waste water.
Aboveground water stores are not the only stores affected. These toxic chemicals can also make their way under the ground to pollute groundwater stores. Unlike aboveground water storage, groundwater does not turn over fast, and can remain under the ground for hundreds of years. The result of this pollution can only be seen in the years to come, making it a threat for the future.
This is not to say that groundwater stores do not affect water usage at present. Many countries currently draw on groundwater, especially confined aquifers, to supply their water needs.
Pollution of groundwater stores that have affected water supply is already clear in India. A 2004 survey of pollution in Pali in Rajasthan found that there was major groundwater pollution that resulted in the contamination of wells tapping groundwater.
Harm to wearers: Allergies
There have not been many reports of people having allergies to dyes. However, babies are more susceptible to rashes from dyes, as was found in a research paper in the journal Pediatrics. The paper studied the cases of five babies who developed contact dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin that occurs when the skin comes into contact with an allergy-provoking substance, when they wore dyed diapers. They recovered once their parents switched to dye-free diapers.
Natural dyes as a solution?
The use of natural dyes can solve many of the problems associated with synthetic dyes. However, shops selling environmentally-friendly clothes are in short supply, and are generally more expensive than regular clothes. In the future, this may change, but for now, synthetic dyes are here to stay.
On an individual level, you can make a difference by dyeing your own clothes using natural dyes rather than synthetic dyes. For suggestions on what you can use as a natural dye, see Natural Cloth Dyes: A Guide to Dyeing your Own Clothes.
Sources:
- Armenian Medical Network. (2005). Dyes in diapers can cause skin rash. Retrieved on 12 May 2011.
- Brit. (2008, June 18). Synthetic dyes: A look at environmental and human risks. Retrieved on 12 May 2011.
- Spencer, J. (2007, August 22). China pays steep price as textile exports boom. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 12 May 2011.
- WorstPolluted.org. (n.d.). Top six toxic threats: 2010. Retrieved on 12 May 2011.
