Colored products are more attractive and increase the marketing value.
Natural and synthetic dyes are used for many centuries for coloring. Synthetic dyes are
preferred mostly due to their high stability and cost effectiveness. The food products
and textile fabrics which are coloured by synthetic dyes cause severe health issues to
human beings. The synthetic dyes are cleaved into aromatic or aryl amines during
reductive reactions that cause carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Children are
severely affected due to the consumption of artificial colours in food and may get
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The European Commission (EU)
prohibits the marketing of products that contain the restricted azo dyes which have
longer contact with the skin. The synthetic dyes with improper fixing are discharged
into the environment along with effluent, causing biomagnification problems. They
also affect the terrestrial and aquatic systems and cause severe pollution to the
environment. This study deals with the various types of textile and food dyes, their
impacts on health and environment and the effective treatment methods for the removal
of dyes from the industrial effluent.
Keywords: Azo dyes, Biosorption, Biodegradation, Carcinogenic, Food
Colourants, Synthetic Dyes.
