Sustainable textile dyeing processes

Textile effluents are characterized by high chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, pH and colour. Fabric preparation steps, such as desizing, scouring, bleaching and mercerizing, use various chemicals and plenty of water. The occurrence of unfixed dyes and other electrolytes in effluents poses serious threats to the environment. Available end-of-pipe treatment procedures are either expensive or not efficient; hence, a large number of small-scale industries succumb to this problem. So, finding an alternative eco-friendly process of textile production is of paramount interest. Here, we review three potential eco-friendly systems applicable to textile dyeing processes to minimize salt and water consumption. First, we review application of enzymatic processing in fabric preparation. Secondly, we review the use of biodegradable organic salts, such as trisodium citrate, magnesium acetate, tetrasodium edate and sodium salts of polycarboxylic acids, as fixation and exhaustion agents. Finally, we review various surface modifications of cotton to reduce the volume of effluent and total dissolved solids.