Publisher's Synopsis
Textile dyes enhance our environment, bringing colour into our lives. The current range of dyes has been developed to withstand environmental effects, such as degradation by exposure to light and water. However, the industry involved with the application of dyes to textiles has a responsibility to ensure that potential for harm to the environment, for example through residues in waste-streams, and to the consumer is minimised. Dyeing is a method which imparts beauty to the textile by applying various colors and their shades on to a fabric. Dyeing can be done at any stage of the manufacturing of textile- fiber, yarn, fabric or a finished textile product including garments and apparels. The property of color fastness depends upon two factors -- selection of proper dye according to the textile material to be dyed and selection of the method for dyeing the fiber, yarn or fabric. In the textile industry, up to 200,000 tons of these dyes are lost to effluents every year during the dyeing and finishing operations, due to the inefficiency of the dyeing process. Unfortunately, most of these dyes escape conventional wastewater treatment processes and persist in the environment as a result of their high stability to light, temperature, water, detergents, chemicals, soap and other parameters such as bleach and perspiration. In addition, anti-microbial agents resistant to biological degradation are frequently used in the manufacture of textiles, particularly for natural fibers such as cotton. The synthetic origin and complex aromatic structure of these agents make them more recalcitrant to biodegradation. The textile industry consumes a substantial amount of water in its manufacturing processes used mainly in the dyeing and finishing operations of the plants. The wastewater from textile plants is classified as the most polluting of all the industrial sectors, considering the volume generated as well as the effluent composition. The book Environmental Aspects of Textile Dyeing concludes with chapters on the reduction of pollution and minimisation of waste, the re-use of spent dyebath, chemical treatment of dye effluent and biotechnological treatment of dye effluent. This book is of valuable tool for manufacturers concerned with developing a sustainable industry.
