Textile industry changes and problems

Exposure to toxic materials:

The textile industry is one of the higher polluting industry in the world in terms of exposure to toxic materials. The air and water are the most ways to expose the toxic materials. thousands of workers are engaged in textile industry. The textile industry involves various types of dyes and chemicals. After weaving there are so many processes are involved in textile industries.

In singeing the floating fibers are removed by burning so there will be chances of mixing the various gases in the atmospheric air.in desizing the size paste of the fabric by various chemicals like NaOH. After desizing, fabric still remain natural impurities these impurities are removed by hot alkaline solution. There many types of dyes are used. Dye is the most process which expose more toxic material and there are many acids, ionic compounds, alkaline solutions, enzymes are used for dyeing. In finishing the various chemicals are used to increase the lustre of fabric. So, this are the process which are directly depend on the chemicals and these chemicals are directly mixed with water.so the exposure to toxic materials is the one of the main issues of textile industry.

UNIT PROCESS	POSSIBLE POLLUTANTS IN WATER	NATURE OF WASTE WATER
DESIZING	Starch, Glucose, CMC, PVA, Resin, Fats and Waxes	High BOD (35-50% of total)
SCOURING	NaOH, wax, grease, Na2CO3	Strongly alkaline High BOD (30% of total)
BLEACHING	Cl2, NaOH, H2O2, acid etc	Alkaline 5% of total bod
MERCERISATION	NaOH	Strongly coloured low BOD (less than 1%)
DYEING	Various dyes, acid, alkali, salts soaps, detergents.	Strongly coloured fairly BOD (less than 6%)
PRINTING	Colour, starch, china clay, acid, alkali, and various metallic salts.	Highly coloured and oily appearance BOD (6-10% of total)
FINISHING	Trace of starch, tallow and finishing agent	Low BOD (2-4% of total)

The effect of the toxic material exposure. This reactive are used for finishing, dyeing and printing purpose. The solvents used in this industry creates different health related hazards including cancer. Due to exposure of toxic material in water.it creates water pollution. Some of this water borne diseases are typhoid, cholera, jaundice, fever etc. Due to exposure of toxic material in atmospherically air creates air pollution. Air pollution include heart deceases, lung cancer, respiratory deceases to the workers. Also, long term damage to the workers such as nerves, brain. Bad smell is mixing with air in the time of chemicals processing so there will be reduces the ability of the workers.

•