Abstract:
The textile industry has been condemned as being one of the world ís worst
offenders in terms of pollution. Chemical companies market a vast range of
products such as dye formulations, colorants and finishing chemicals to
the textile industry. This study was carried out in a textile mill. The research
revealed that twenty two dyes and twenty five chemicals were used in the
mill during twelve month period of the study. Thirty six Materials Safety
Data Sheets (MSDSs) were collected from manufacturing companies/sup-
pliers. Analysis of MSDSs together with the information provided on re-
quest by International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC), France iden-
tified that various chemical substances used in the mill were harmful/toxic,
carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, and water polluting. Furthermore, it
was identified that two out of three compounds classified as carcinogenic
to humans were used in the mill either as chrome/metal/complex dye itself
or as its mordants. It was therefore recommended to substitute chromium
by hydrogen peroxide fixation. In addition, numerous problems with MSDSs
and in occupational and safety practices on handling chemical substances
in the mill were documented. The study consequently made several spe-
cific recommendations towards improvements.
