Toxicity of Synthetic Fibres and Human Health (OPEN ACCESS)

Abstract

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage an organism. Whenever we go for shopping for our clothes, we don’t know, how toxic and harmful that piece of fabric could be for our health. Neither do we think of its origin nor its manufacturing process and the toxic load on our body and on environment. The purpose for writing this article is to make the people aware of harmful and dangerous effects of synthetic and semi-synthetic fibres. In older times, most of the fabrics used were made from the fibres that were derived from natural sources like cotton, wool, silk and jute. Those fibres were traditional, ecofriendly and non-toxic to wear by any means. But now a day’s many fabrics used in draperies, bedding, automobile furnishing, offices, schools and hospitals are made from synthetic fibres. Many synthetic fabrics are also used for personal applications like designer wear, fashion costumes and seasonal wear because of many properties like wrinkle resistance, easy to wash, easy to store but most of them are manufactured with tons of chemicals. These are highly toxic and are increasing the negative effects on our health. These synthetic fabrics also pose a serious threat to ecological balance.

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Citation: Singh Z and Bhalla S. Toxicity of Synthetic Fibres & Health. Adv Res Text Eng. 2017; 2(1): 1012.
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Advance Research in Textile Engineering
Open Access
Abstract
Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage an organism.
Whenever we go for shopping for our clothes, we don’t know, how toxic and
harmful that piece of fabric could be for our health. Neither do we think of its
origin nor its manufacturing process and the toxic load on our body and on
environment. The purpose for writing this article is to make the people aware of
harmful and dangerous effects of synthetic and semi-synthetic bres. In older
times, most of the fabrics used were made from the bres that were derived from
natural sources like cotton, wool, silk and jute. Those bres were traditional, eco-
friendly and non-toxic to wear by any means. But now a day’s many fabrics used
in draperies, bedding, automobile furnishing, ofces, schools and hospitals are
made from synthetic bres. Many synthetic fabrics are also used for personal
applications like designer wear, fashion costumes and seasonal wear because
of many properties like wrinkle resistance, easy to wash, easy to store but most
of them are manufactured with tons of chemicals. These are highly toxic and are
increasing the negative effects on our health. These synthetic fabrics also pose
a serious threat to ecological balance.
Keywords: Textile; Chemicals; Toxicity; Synthetic bres; Health effects
Cuprammonium process
In this process, cotton linters or wood pulp is bleached with chlorine
and is boiled in sodium hydroxide solution. en cuprammonium
hydroxide solution is prepared by adding ammonium hydroxide to
a solution of copper sulphate and is forced through spinneret into
sulphuric acid for coagulation.
Viscose process
Rayon bres are prepared by treating wood chips with number
of chemicals one by one including caustic soda and soda ash (sodium
carbonate), hydrochloric acid, carbon sulphate and in the end with
sulphuric acid for coagulation.
Acetate rayon
In this process, cotton linters or wood pulp is treated with various
chemicals to make the bres. First of all, these are treated with caustic
soda and soda ash; and then are treated with bleaching powder. Aer
this treatment, washing is done with hydrochloric acid and steeped
in glacial acetic acid for acetylating of reaction. It is treated with
anhydride solution, glacial acetic acid, conc. sulphuric acid, which
acts as catalyst. en ageing is done in acetic acid and sulphuric acid.
Titanium dioxide, a delustrant is added to deluster the bre and
solution is forced through spinneret. Titanium dioxide is known for
its toxicity in dierent models [6-12]. When wood pulp is bleached, a
by-product called dioxin is released which is known to be toxic [13-
18].
e processing treatment can use several toxic chemicals. e
combination of these chemicals can linger on the clothing causing
rayon wearers to suer from nausea, vomiting, headache and
chest pain. More serious health issues include necrosis, anorexia,
polyneuropathy, paralysis, insomnia and Parkinson’s disease.
Introduction
Textile industry is one of the largest sector providing jobs to lakhs
of workers every year. Textile industries are engaging workers under
dierent job categories. Textile industry is using dierent kinds of
chemicals for dierent industrial processes. ese chemicals used
in the industries are found to be toxic in dierent research studies.
Even, textile wastewaters have been tested for the chemicals being
present in many studies [1-3]. Fibres are the smallest unit used as
raw material for making yarns and fabrics. ere are two types of
bres including natural bres (derived from vegetables, animals or
mineral bres) like cotton, jute, linen, wool and silk; and man-made
bres (synthetic bres) which are made synthetically in laboratories
by using chemicals. ese processed bres are posing serious threats
to the health of humans [4,5]. In this paper, an attempt has been made
to summarize the chemicals being used in the making of various
synthetic textile bres and their toxicities. Synthetic may also be
categorized into semi-synthetic bres and all-synthetic bres.
Semi Synthetic Fibres
Rayon bres are of vegetable origin and are derived from
cellulose. We can get rayon bres by dissolving the natural cellulose
to form spinning solution of regenerated cellulose and then forcing
this solution through a spinneret to extrude laments and then
coagulating them. Rayon bres can be produced through various
processes
Nitrocellulose process
In this process, the linters are treated with a mixture of sulphuric
acid and nitric acid to convert cellulose into nitrocellulose. e
nitrocellulose is then dissolved in alcohol or ether and forced through
spinneret. e bre is highly inammable at this stage. erefore, it is
denitrated by treating with sodium hydrosulphide.
Review Article
Toxicity of Synthetic Fibres & Health
Singh Z1 and Bhalla S2*
1Department of Zoology, Khalsa College, India
2Department of Fashion Designing, PCM S.D. College for
Women, India
*Corresponding author: Sunita Bhalla, Department of
Fashion Designing, PCM S.D. College for Women, India
Received: October 05, 2016; Accepted: January 03,
2017; Published: January 05, 2017

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All Synthetic Fibres
All-synthetic bres include Nylon, Polyester, Lycra and Spandex.
ese are synthesized from various elements into large molecules by
reacting various chemicals with each other. Biological monitoring
has been done before in many studies for the ill eects the chemicals
used in the synthetic bre formation [4,19]. ese are used for wide
variety of apparels, home furnishing and industrial products, swim
wear, foundation garments hosiery and sportswear. ese are popular
because they are thermoplastic, resilient, elastic and very strong.
Polyester
Polyester bres are synthetic textile bres formed by condensation
polymerization of two monomers: dicarboxylic acid or terephthalic
acid and ethylene glycol. Terephthalic acid is obtained by oxidizing
para-xylene and nitric acid at 200ºC using cobalt toluate as catalyst.
Para-xylene is derived from petroleum during polymerization. It is a
component in the production of terephthalic acid for polyesters such
as polyethylene terephthalate. Xylene has been shown to have toxic
eects [20-27]. If terephthalic acid is being used then hydrochloric
acid is added as catalyst. If diethyl terephthalate is used, then sodium
is added as catalyst. Both terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol are
known carcinogens. Since the monomers are toxic, the toxicity of
their polymerization product should not be ignored.
Monomeric forms are not completely removed from bres, but
they are trapped during manufacturing process. ese forms may
enter the human body through skin. Phytoestrogens are emitted by
polyester which act as endocrine disrupters and also cause certain
type of cancers. As the polyester bre is bad conductor of heat and
sweat, it is responsible for acute skin rashes, redness, and itching. On
wearing for a long time, it can cause acute and chronic respiratory
infections. Polyester is also responsible for reproductive system
disorders like reduced sperm counts.
Nylon
Nylon is also made by condensation polymerization. e
raw material is converted into two coal tar products: adipic acid
and hexamethylene diamine. ese are heated to form condensed
product called nylon salt which is a polymer. e petrochemicals
used for polymerization of nylon are non eco-friendly. Chemicals in
the form of residues are retained by nylon fabric even aer complete
manufacture. As nylon bre is bad conductor of heat, it does not
allow the sweat and body heat to pass through. Formaldehyde in
fabrics emitted by body heat causes skin allergies, eye watering and
is a known potent carcinogen also. Delustrant chemical (titanium
oxide), barium sulphate an antistatic substance cause hyper skin
pigmentation, dermatitis and functioning of central nervous system
as disorientation, dizziness, headache and spine pain. Green house
gases like nitrous oxide and harmful volatile organic compounds are
also emitted by nylon fabric.
Spandex
Spandex is an elastomeric bre means it has a superior elasticity
and has a smooth nish due to which it is commonly used for
making shorts, tights, leggings, shirts and undergarments. It is
molecularly described as to be composed of a chain like arrangements
of so stretchable segments of polyurethane linked together for
reinforcement by hard segment. During manufacturing process of
spandex bre, a linear soluble polyurethane is dissolved in a strong
solvent like Di Methyl Formamide (DMF), dimethyl acetamide or
dimethyl sulfaoxide. Due to use of these strong chemicals in the
manufacturing process of spandex bres, wearing these bres for
long time, it can cause skin allergies. Occupational health status of
the workers in spandex industry has also been reported [28]. As the
bres don’t have the ability to absorb sweat, once you start sweating
beneath spandex, chemical could be released into the skin from the
dyes and formaldehyde used on the fabric which causes allergies.
Contact dermatitis due to spandex is a commonly seen side eect
[29-34]. Due to the inability of spandex to absorb sweat, skin can
become fertile ground for dierent bacterial infections. Folliculitis
and impetigo is also fairly common & caused due to long wear of
spandex bres.
Acrylic
Acrylic bre is any long chain synthetic polymer composed
of at least 85% by weight of acrylonitrile units. Acrylonitrile may
be made from acetylene or from ethylene. Both are petroleum
derivatives. When the ethylene is treated with hyprochlorous acid,
a chlorohydrin is reacted with sodium hydroxide to form ethylene
oxide. Hydrocyanic acid is added to ethylene oxide producing cyano-
alcohol which is dehydrated to yield acrylonitrile.
Sr. No. Name of the Chemical
used Name of the Fibre Side effects on health
1. Sulphuric acid Used in manufacturing process of rayon Can cause skin rashes, itching, redness, dermatitis, necrosis and
anorexia
2. Carbon disulphide Emitted from rayon fabric Can cause nausea, headache, vomiting, chest and muscle pain;
and insomnia
3. Nitric acid Used in rayon Can produce injuries to the skin, eye, respiratory and
gastrointestinal tract
4. Ethylene glycol Used in manufacturing of polyester bre It can cause dysrhythmias and heart failure
5. Hexamethylene diamine Used in manufacturing of nylon bre Can irritate skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs; may also damage
the liver and kidneys, infertility in men
6. Dimethyl formamide Used in spinning process of acrylic bre Causes skin rashes and liver damage
7. Formaldehyde Used in spandex, acrylic, nylon and polyester bres Causes skin allergies and eye watering
8. Barium sulphate Used as antistatic substance in the nishing of polyester,
nylon, spandex and acrylic bres
Causes hyper skin pigmentation, dermatitis, dizziness, headache
and spine pain
9. Terepthalic acid Used in manufacturing polyester bre Carcinogenic
10. Acrylonitrile It is used in manufacturing of acrylic bre Carcinogenic and has bad effects on
central nervous system
Table 1: Side effects of the chemicals used in the textile bre manufacture.

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e acrylonitrile is then polymerized into polyacrylonitrile
resin, a long chain linear polymer. e polyacrylonitrile is dissolved
in DMF and extruded through a spinneret and stretched to form
bre. Delustrant is also added to make it semi dull. In spite of their
antistatic nish, heat setting and water repellency nish is also given
using many chemicals. It is designed for use in bulky knits and in
hand knitting yarns. DMF used in spinning process of acrylic bres
is easily absorbed through the skin and can cause liver damage and
other adverse health eects [35-39].
If one is facing some mysterious health symptoms like skin rashes,
nausea, fatigue, burning, itching, headaches and breathing problems
and you cannot seem to get control over, it is worth checking out
whether your clothes could be the problem. All these symptoms may
be associated with chemicals which are used in manufacturing the
fabrics. Table 1 shows the side eects of the chemicals used in the
manufacture of dierent bres.
Conclusion
A number of toxic chemicals are used in the manufacturing
process of the synthetic bres. Keeping in mind, all the bad eects of
toxic chemicals being used in the manufacturing process of synthetic
bres, we should try to use textiles and fabrics which are made from
natural bres and are eco-friendly. Organic clothing should be chosen
for the garments which remain closest to the skin most of the time
including underwear’s, sleepwears and camisoles. We should move
in a healthier direction with our right choice of clothing to reduce our
chemical load.
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Citation: Singh Z and Bhalla S. Toxicity of Synthetic Fibres & Health. Adv Res Text Eng. 2017; 2(1): 1012.
Adv Res Text Eng - Volume 2 Issue 1 - 2017
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