Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Effect of Dyes on The Environment
The production of dyes in the modern industrialized world is beneficial for the aesthetic and artistic purposes. However, the production of dyes has an adverse effect on the environment. The use of dyes in modern day life can be beneficial if organic dyes are adapted instead of inorganic ones. However, for industrial use, inorganic dyes are not sufficient or appropriate as raw materials for the production of the resulting industrial products. For instance, the use of textile dyes and paper dyes on the textile and food packaging industries respectively has dire effects on the environment. Taking textile and food dyes as an example, this essay will explore the effect of dyes on the environment.
The historical use of dyes in the world is dated back over 5000 years ago, as human beings desired aesthetical touch in their life (Hunger, 2003). Dyes were used to color food and textile for the people in these generations. However, in the ancient times, natural dyes were used and had no adverse effects on the environment. Hunger (2003) notes that with industrialization, industrial dyes started being used and developed into the current synthetic dyes that have negative effects on the environment. Currently, pigments and dyes are the basic ways of coloring textiles and packaging some food products. Due to the negative effects, the use of the dyes the benefits that accrue to the use of dyes is gradually being eroded.
Production of dyes has a significant impact on the environment, especially through the production of harmful industrial wastes. The wastes from the production of the dyes are mostly in the form of wastewater. In an adverse pollution problem, most of the waste, industrial water finds its way to water masses like rivers and oceans. The effects of these wastes on the impact the environment, especially on plants presents a threat to the natural ecosystem. According to Kuhad and Singh (2013), the production of the industrial waste from textile dye industries affects the aquatic life of the water masses if the waste is directed there. This means that further production of dyes will translate to further pollution of the environment.
Despite the pollution problem, the production of dyes is still important for the modern life, especially in the textile and food industries. This calls for government regulation and control of the situation to ensure sustainable production. Due to the effect on the environment, especially on water masses and the general ecosystem, most governments have adopted regulatory measures on the food and textile industries. Governments require the food and textile industries to treat these wastes to avoid bioaccumulation since they are not degradable. In addition, they require elimination of color and chemical salts from the wastewater before elimination from the industries.
The production of dyes such as the textile and food dyes is a sustainable industrial process and can be regulated. Recycling could be the most appropriate solution to the problem, especially in the current world that has increased demand for food and textile products that require dyes in their production. For instance, the New York City has a law that requires companies to recycle waste water for any company that produces over 10% of its waste as industrial waste (Ganiaris & Okun, 2001). All in all, the production of dyes remains an industrial process that produces waste that negatively affects the environment. However, through regulated production and recycling, the production of dyes is sustainable.
References
Ganiaris, G. & Okun, J. (2001) To riches from rags: profiting from waste reduction: a best-practices guide for textile and apparel manufacturers. U.S. EPA Region 2. Retrieved from, <http://www.epa.gov/region02/p2/textile.pdf> July 3, 2014
Hunger, K., ed. (2003). Industrial Dyes. Chemistry, Properties, Applications. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH
Kuhad, R. C. & Singh, A. (2013). Biotechnology for Environmental Management and Resource Recovery. New York: Springer Science & Business Media