Residual water from textile industries in rivers and oceans.

Author: María José Forigua Alba

Department of Languages and Culture, Universidad de Los Andes

English 9B Academic Writing for Sciences and Engineering (LENG 1159)

Instructor: Laura Ximena Hurtado

March 13th, 2023.

 Residual water from textile industries in rivers and oceans

The discharge of residual water from textile industries into rivers and oceans can have

significant negative impacts on the environment and human health. The residual water

typically contains various chemicals, including dyes, solvents, and heavy metals, which

can be harmful to aquatic life and humans if ingested or absorbed through the skin.

Textile industrie is also one of the industries that emits the most liquid polluting

residues given the large amount of pigments used in the industry, being mostly non-

biodegradable and persistent in the aqueous environment. In the manufacturing process,

up to 200,000 tons of pigments and dyes can be lost per year if the water is not

efficiently treated. This is due to the lack of regulatory measures from governments

towards companies on what should be done with the wastewater of the processes and

the treatment that should be given. Figure 1 is shown to illustrate the countries with the

highest levels for water pollution caused by the textile industry are Turkey (32.21%),

Indonesia (29.25%) and China (20.29%),while the lowest are in Germany (2.44%), the

U.K. (4.26%) and the USA (4.29%).

Figure 1. Water pollution caused by the textile industry, G20 countries. Dorel
Paraschiv, Cristiana Tudor and Radu Petrariu.

(2015): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273927899_Sustainability

When residual water is discharged into rivers, the residual water can cause water

pollution, which can harm aquatic life, make water unsafe for human consumption, and

reduce the availability of safe drinking water. The chemicals can also accumulate in the

food chain, leading to health problems for people and wildlife that consume

contaminated fish and other aquatic organisms. When discharged into oceans, the

residual water can cause similar environmental problems, as well as harm marine

ecosystems and contribute to the global problem of ocean pollution. Additionally, the

discharge of residual water can lead to the formation of harmful algal blooms, which

can be toxic to both marine life and humans.

To mitigate the negative impacts of residual water from textile industries, companies

should implement more sustainable practices in their manufacturing processes, such as

using less water and reducing or eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals.

Governments can also enforce regulations and standards to limit the discharge of

residual water and encourage companies to adopt more environmentally friendly

practices, such as implement zone-based treatment plants in companies or an ECUVal

system, in an study of V. Buscio, V. López Grimau, M.D. Álvarez,

C. Gutiérrez-Bouzán in 2019 an ECUVal system was used to treat three different

effluents that were collected during the dyeing process using reactive dyes. The

intensity of the treatment varied for each effluent, but it was found that the system was

able to remove between 64% and 99% of the color from the effluents. Once the

effluents had been treated, they were reconstituted and used again in new dyeing
processes that involved monochromatic and trichromatic dyes. When these reused

effluents were analyzed, it was found that up to 70% of the water and 72% of the salt

could be reused when the ECUVal system was applied to treat textile

effluents.Additionally, consumers can play a role by supporting companies that

prioritize sustainable and responsible manufacturing practices, residual water treatment

entails more than simply adhering to regulatory requirements; it involves meeting an

ethical and moral obligation to safeguard the environment and our natural resources

(Mittal, A., 2018).

Sustainable practices would help reduce the environmental impact of textile production.

This would include reducing water usage, decreasing the use of toxic chemicals, and

reducing carbon emissions. In first place, it would improve working conditions for

employees in the textile industry. This would include ensuring fair wages, safe working

conditions, and better access to health care and education.Secondly, it would increase

consumer demand, as more consumers become aware of the environmental and social

impact of the textile industry, there is likely to be increased demand for sustainable

products. This would create opportunities for textile companies that prioritize

sustainable practices. One disadvantage for industries is the cost of the investment of the

implementation of treatment plants but it will also help reducing production costs by

improving efficiency, reducing waste, and using less energy and with that alternative

textile companies can improve their long-term viability by ensuring that they are able to

meet the needs of consumers and adapt to changing environmental regulations.

 References

V. Buscio, V. López-Grimau, M.D. Álvarez, C. Gutiérrez-Bouzán. (2019). Reducing the

environmental impact of textile industry by reusing residual salts and water: ECUVal system,
161-170.

The purpose of the text is to explain the ECUVal system, it is a method of reducing the
environmental impact of the textile industry by reusing salt and water in the dyeing process.
This system involves a closed loop process that collects wastewater from dyeing and separates
the salts and dye molecules from the water using nanofiltration technology. The purified water
can then be reused in the dyeing process, while the salts and dye molecules are recovered and
reused in subsequent dyeing processes. The ECUVal system has been shown to significantly
reduce the environmental impact of textile dyeing, by reducing water consumption, energy
use, and chemical waste. Additionally, the recovered salts and dyes can be sold, generating
additional revenue for textile manufacturers. Overall, the ECUVal system represents a
promising solution for reducing the environmental impact of textile dyeing, while also
providing economic benefits for the industry. This could be an example of how residual water
can be threatened.

Mittal, Arun. "Textile Effluent Treatment: Problems and Solutions." In Environmental

Concerns and Sustainable Development, edited by Ravi Kant Upadhyay, 151-162. Springer,
Singapore, 2018.

The article "Textile Effluent Treatment: Problems and Solutions" discusses the environmental
impact of textile effluent and the various treatment methods that can be used to mitigate this
impact. The article highlights the challenges associated with textile effluent treatment,
including the complex composition of the effluent and the high volume of wastewater
generated by textile production. The article also discusses a range of treatment methods,
including physical, chemical, and biological processes, and provides examples of how these
methods have been successfully applied in various textile manufacturing settings. The article
concludes by emphasizing the importance of effective effluent treatment to ensure the
sustainability of the textile industry, and highlights the need for ongoing research and
development in this area. In this quote, Arun Mittal highlights the importance of treating
wastewater from textile industries not just to meet regulatory requirements, but also to fulfill
a moral and ethical responsibility to protect the environment.