Environmental Studies

RTEC Suggestion
Solved by Md. Nafiul Islam (Nafi)

1. Define environment and discuss about its components.

 The term 'environment' means, simply, 'nature’. Literary environment means the surrounding external
conditions influencing development or growth of people, animal, plants, living or working conditions
etc.
 An Ecosystem (also called as environment) is a natural unit consisting of humans, animals, all plants
and micro-organisms (Biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical
(Abiotic factors) of the environment.

Components of environment:

(1) Physical Components:

 Physical component of environment includes air, water, soil, light, temperature, climate, etc.
 These environmental components accounts for determination of living conditions for the human
population.
 Physical component of the environment is again classified into three parts as follows:
o Atmosphere (gas)
o Hydrosphere (liquid)
o Lithosphere (solid)
These three parts portrays the three important states of matter forming the environment.

(2) Biological Components:

 Biological component includes all living things like humans, plants, animals and small
microorganisms like bacteria, algae and fungi. These interrelate with the abiotic component of the
environment.
 Interaction of these two components forms various ecosystems like forest ecosystem, pond ecosystem,
marine ecosystem, desert ecosystem, etc.
 All ecosystems have three different types of living organisms; i.e. producers, consumers and
decomposers.
 o Producer includes mainly green plants and other photosynthetic bacteria which produces
organic food materials.
o Consumers rely on green plants for their living.
o Decomposers are responsible to decompose dead plants and animals for the running of the
natural cycles.

(3) Cultural Components:

 Cultural elements such as economic, social and political elements are essentially manmade features,
which make cultural milieu.
 This component is mainly consisting of various groups of population with different living beings like
birds, animals, etc.

2. Definition of Pollution and its types.

Pollution may be defined as an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological

characteristics of air, water and land which affects the human life and other animals, living conditions,
industrial processes and cultural assets. Pollution can be natural or manmade.

Types of Pollution:
1. Air Pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Noise Pollution
4. Soil Pollution
5. Marine Pollution
6. Thermal Pollution
7. Nuclear Pollution

3. Definition of Pollutant and its types.

Pollutant is a substance which causes the pollution such as CO2, CO, dust particle, NO2, CFC gas etc.

Classification of Pollutants:

On the basis of natural disposal, pollutants are of two types:

(i) Non-biodegradable pollutants: Non degradable pollutant do not degrade or may degrade at a very slow
rate in environment. These are inorganic compounds such as salts (chlorides), metallic oxides waste
producing materials like aluminium cans, mercuric salts etc. More dangerous because it is more difficult to
remove.
(ii)Biodegradable pollutants: These include domestic sewage that easily decomposes under natural
processes and can be rapidly decomposed by natural/ artificial methods. These are garbage, sewage, livestock
etc. These cause serious problems when accumulated in large amounts as the pace of deposition exceeds the
pace of decomposition of disposal.

4. Differentiate between degradable and non-degradable pollutants.

Differentiation between degradable and non-degradable pollutants:

Aspect Degradable Pollutants Non-Degradable Pollutants

Pollutants that can be broken down into Pollutants that cannot be broken down, or break
Definition simpler, harmless forms by natural processes down very slowly, and remain in the environment
(microorganisms, sunlight, water, etc.). for a long time.
Short-lived; they do not accumulate in the Long-lived; they accumulate in soil, water, air,
Persistence
environment. and living organisms.
Sewage, paper waste, food waste, cotton, Plastics, pesticides (DDT), radioactive substances,
Examples
plant residues, animal dung. heavy metals (lead, mercury), glass.
Very harmful because they persist, accumulate
Usually less harmful if present in small
Impact (bio magnification), and can cause long-term
amounts because they decompose naturally.
ecological damage.
Can be controlled by natural decomposition, Require special methods like recycling, controlled
Management
composting, and waste treatment. disposal, or strict regulation to manage.

5. Kind of pollutions are observed in Spinning/Knitting/Dyeing Mill.

Kind of pollutions are observed in Spinning/Knitting/Dyeing Mill: Spinning and weaving/knitting industry
generates air pollution and sound pollution but wet processing industry creates air pollution and water
pollution.

Air pollution:

I. In spinning, knitting and weaving section high level of dust particle, fine solid particle,
projecting fibres fly on air and may inhale in lung.
II. During spinning process, Sulphur di-oxide, emitting metal sulphate, exhaust gases from spinning
and fluff generation poly-condensation, melt which creates air pollution.
III. In Boiler, during steam generation sulphur di oxide, nitrous oxide is produced which causes air
pollution.
IV. In dyeing and bleaching stage chlorine, chlorine di oxide, carrier, aniline vapours, hydrogen
sulphide are produced.

Noise Pollution:

I. In Spinning m/c from blow room to ring frame causes noise pollution (range 80-94db).
II. In weaving section, loom shed occurs noise pollution due to shuttle movement, slay movement.
(range 94-99db)
III. In knitting section high speed automated m/c creates excess noise. (range85-90db).
Water Pollution:

I. After dyeing process wastewater(effluent) which contains strong chemical and intensive colour
with high load of BOD, COD, suspended solid(SS), TDS (total dissolve solid) all these causes
water pollution.
II. Below process and chemical are liable for water pollution in textile industry:

a) De-sizing: starch, glucose, PVA, CMC, fat& wax, Resin.

b) Scouring: Caustic soda, soda ash, waxes & greases.
c) Bleaching: Hydrogen peroxide, acid, hypochlorite, chlorine, caustic soda.
d) Mercerization: caustic soda.
e) Dyeing: Dyestuff, soda ash, mordant, reducing agent, acetic acid.
f) Printing: Dyestuff, thickener (starch, gum oils), mordant, acid, metallic salt.
g) Finishing: special finishes, Traces of starch, Tallow etc.

6. Major impact area of textile processing on environmental pollutions.

Major impact area of textile processing on environmental pollutions-

1. Raw materials: Use of pesticides in cotton fields has an enormous negative environmental impact,
cotton seed fly in air. Dust storms are caused by cashmere goat over-grazing.
2. Manufacturing: Spinning and weaving/knitting industry generates air and sound pollution again
Textile dyeing and finishing is a particularly high volume, high impact source of water pollution and
air pollution.
3. Good movements: Shipping long distance emits CO2 to pollute air. By air shipment emits CO2 more
than 40 times in using a container ship.
4. Consumer care: Washing clothes in hot water (with detergent) has large environmental costs and dry
cleaning requires a toxic persistent solvent.

7. Guideline of production and control practices to compliance with pollution in a dyeing

industry.

Guideline of production and control practices to compliance with pollution in a dyeing industry.

1. Do not use of less degradable surfactants (in washing and scouring operation) and spinning oils.
2. Consider the use of transfer printing for synthetics, use water based printing pastes where feasible.
3. Consider the use of cold pad batch dyeing.
4. Use jet dyers instead of winch dyers where feasible.
5. Avoid the use of benzidine based azo dyes and dyes containing cadmium and other heavy metals,
chlorine based dyes should not be used.
6. Do not use mercury, arsenic, banned pesticides in the process.
7. Recover and reuse process chemicals and dye solution
8. Substitute less toxic dye comers whenever possible. Avoid comers containing chlorine.
9. Use peroxide based bleaches instead of sulphur and chlorine based where feasible.
10. Use counter current rinsing and improved clearing and housekeeping.
8. What is Greenhouse gas?

Greenhouse gas: Greenhouse gases are gases present in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat by
absorbing and emitting infrared radiation. They act like the glass of a greenhouse allowing sunlight to
enter but preventing some of the heat from escaping back into space, which keeps the Earth warm.

Major Greenhouse Gases:

1. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) – from burning fossil fuels, deforestation.

2. Methane (CH₄) – from livestock, landfills, paddy fields.
3. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) – from fertilizers, industrial processes.
4. Ozone (O₃) – at ground level, formed by photochemical reactions.
5. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – synthetic compounds used in refrigerants, aerosols.

9. Way to reduce greenhouse gases and Effect?

1. Use of less Energy: - Electricity (replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs, adding insulation
to your home wall, smart thermostat, green roof top)
2. Generate Electricity without emissions (solar energy, geothermal, wind turbines, tidal energy, ocean
wave).
3. Travel without greenhouse gases- responsible for 14% gas emission. (bicycle, electric car, hybrid car,
biking, public transportation).
4. Reduce emission from Industry- responsible for 20% gas emission.
5. Take carbon dioxide out of the air by carbon sink. (planting trees, bamboo, conserving forest,
grasslands etc.)
6. Reduce, recycle and reuse (reducing waste by purchasing reusable products like getting a reusable
water bottle, by recycling household waste you can save 2400 pound CO2 emission annually)
7. Don’t Buy Fast Fashion.

10. Source of Greenhouse gases.

Source of greenhouse gases-

1. CO2 Sources:
 Human: Burning fossil fuels and wood, forest fires, burning waste etc.
 Natural: Respiration, decay of organic matter, natural forest fires.
2. CH4 Sources:
 Human: Cattle farming, rice paddies (wet soil means any organic matter in it is decomposed
without oxygen), petroleum and natural gas production.
 Natural: digestive tracts of ruminants, cattle, bogs or marshes, bacterial fermentation – when
organic matter is decomposed anaerobically, methane gas is produced.
3. N2O Sources:
 Human: use of nitrogen based fertilizers.
 Natural: bacterial action.
4. CFCs:
 Human: refrigerators, air- conditioning, aerosols in spraying cans, foaming agents.
5. SF6:
 Human: electrical insulators.
Some greenhouse gases are not naturally occurring – they are manmade

i. Carbon tetrafluoride CF4

ii. Sulphur Hexafluoride SF6
iii. Hexafluoroethane C2F6
iv. Chlorofluoro Carbon CFCs

11. Impacts of greenhouse gas.

Impacts of greenhouse effect-

1. Direct effects on temperature rise due to increase on amount of greenhouse gases.

2. Global warming due to increase in the average temperature of Earth.
3. Rise of Sea Level due to melting glaciers/icecap.
4. Depletion of Ozone Layer.
5. Worsening of health effects and spreading of disease (malaria, cholera or dengue).
6. Disruption of the water cycle.
7. Challenges to agriculture and the food supply.

12. Primary and secondary air pollutants.

On the basis of source pollutant can be divided into two types:

a) Pollutants that are emitted directly from an identifiable source are produced both by natural events (for
example, dust storms and volcanic eruptions) and human activities (emission from vehicles, industries,
etc.). These are called primary pollutants.

There are five primary pollutants that together contribute about 90 percent of the global air pollution.
These are:

i. carbon oxides (CO and CO2),

ii. nitrogen oxides (NO2)
iii. sulphur oxides (SO2)
iv. volatile organic compounds (mostly hydrocarbons- methane, benzene),
v. suspended particulate matter (Dust, Lead, Heavy metals, aerosols, smoke, soot, mist etc.)

b) Pollutants that is not directly emitted but are produced in the atmosphere when certain chemical
reactions take place among the primary pollutants are called secondary pollutants. For example,
sulphuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid, SO3, NO3, Salt etc.

13. Particulate pollutant removal process Gravitational settling.

Particulate pollutant removal process (Gravitational settling)

 A simplest device, generally built in the form of long, horizontal, rectangular chambers with an inlet at
one end and an exit at the side or top of the opposite end. collecting dust of size >50μm. Settling
chambers use the force of gravity to remove solid particles.
 The polluted chamber through the inlet and gas stream enters the velocity of the gas is reduced in the
chamber.
 Large particles drop out of the gas and are recollected in hoppers and clean gas passes out through the
outlet.
 Settling chambers are effective in removing only larger particles, they are used in conjunction with a
more efficient control device.
 The size, shape of particles, density and viscosity are key parameters.

14. Air Quality Index (AQI)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number used to report the quality of the air on any given day of a place:
it basically tells you how clean the air is. It measures particles and chemicals in the air that affect people's
health and ignores those that do not. Different countries have different AQIs, so it is difficult to compare one
location to another on a worldwide scale. Some countries are more safety-conscious than others.

Some air quality measurement devices are-

1. Nephelometers
2. Multi gas hand-held monitor
3. Flame ionization detection(FID)

15. Control measures of air pollution.

Following measures have been suggested to control air pollution-

i. Some gases, which are more soluble in a particular liquid than air, for example, ammonia in water, can
be separated by dissolving in it.
ii. Particles larger than 50μm are separated in gravity settling tanks.
iii. Using cyclone collectors or electrostatic precipitators separate fine particles.
iv. Fabric filters are used for the filtration of particulate matter like dust, lint and fumes.
v. Using scrubbers to collect particulate matter.
vi. The height of chimneys should be increased to the highest possible level (at least 30 meter) to reduce
pollution at the ground level.
vii. SO2 pollution can be controlled by extracting Sulphur from the fuel before use.
viii. Decreasing emissions of organic solvents by changing to water-based products.
ix. Optimizing boiler operations to reduce the emissions of nitrous and Sulphur oxides.
x. Pre-screening chemicals using the material safety data sheets to ensure that chemicals are not toxic.
xi. Identifying sources of air pollution and quantifying emissions.
xii. Designing and manufacturing products that do not produce toxic or hazardous air pollutants.
xiii. Avoiding fugitive air emissions from chemical spills through improved work.
xiv. Substitution of raw material that causes more pollution with those that cause less pollution.
xv. Industries should be located in far places so as to minimize the effects of pollution after considering
the topography and the wind directions.
xvi. Pollution control laws should be enforced strictly.

16. Sources of Noise Pollution in textile industry.

There are two types of sources of noise pollution in general.

• Primary Sources: Many primary sources of noise exist in industrial situations. Common primary sources
are interacting parts such as gear pneumatic actuators, air and gas jets, combustion processes and vibrating
components.

• Secondary Sources: However, noise from primary sources is frequently reflected from various
boundaries in the environment. Each such boundary such that sound is nullified in some positions but
reinforced in others.

17. Hazards of Noise Pollution.

Hazards of noise pollution-

1. Workers consistently exposed to the noise levels above 75 to 90 dB

Result in-
a. May reveal permanent hearing loss.
b. Prevalence of noise induced hearing loss was highest in the workers working in weaving area,
followed by the spinning workers and the workers working

2. In addition to hearing loss, exposure of workers to noise levels of 90-119 dB was also found to
Result in-
a) Cardiovascular and psycho physiologic problems.
b) Sleep disorders and headache,
c) Mental fatigue, Annoyance, speech interference and reduced alertness,
d) Increased blood pressure, deep body temperature and pulse rate,
e) Speed of performance was impaired significantly by noise.

18. Control of Noise Pollution in Textile Industries.

1) Proper maintenance: It is observed that malfunctioning or improperly maintained parts produces more
noise than well maintained one like,
 a) Loosely held bearings and belts.
b) Torn belts.
c) Worm gears.
d) Imbalanced rotating masses.
e) Missing guards or shields.
f) Improperly adjusted cams and linkages.

It is recommended that a good preventive maintenance practice should be adopted to reduce the noise level
and also follow scheduled check list.

2) Operating procedures and equipment replacement technique: This technique is totally in the hand of
administration where provision of job rotation and purchasing of new equipment’s.

3) Relocation of equipment: Noise level drops off when the distance from the noise source is increase.

a) Noisy equipment should be as far as possible from employees.

b) Do not put noisy parts at corner to avoid noise reflection.

4) Simple machine treatments: Many simple modifications in the machine show significant reduction in
the noise level.

a) [Link] the dropping height of parts from the ground.

b) [Link] or damping with rubber base material to absorb the noise
c) [Link] optimum pressure when working with pneumatics and hydraulics

5) Room treatments: One of the basic principles of noise control is to reduce the reflecting sound, for that
use of absorbent materials in between the departments.

6) Proper operating speed: As we know any increase in speed will prone to develop more noise so run the
machines with manufacturer recommendation.

a) Enclosures: These are like boxes covered with sound and heat absorbable coatings simple used to
control the machines parts which are moveable especially in case of motor panels where both heat
and noise generation are the key parameters to be performed.
b) Shields and barriers: These are sound absorbable materials which are used to control high
frequency noise and they should be as thick as possible.
c) Ducts and pipes: vibrating duct is the common cause of noise. The source of noise is the fan and
is depend on
 Proper fan size and type
 Speed of the fan

19. Standard sound intensity Level.

20. Characteristics of Textile Effluent.

21. Standard water quality for Textile processing

Standard water quality for Textile processing-

• PH should be in the range of 7-8

• Water should be odorless and colorless.
• Water hardness- Total hardness max 5°dH
• Solid content <50 mg/l
• Iron (Fe) <0.1 mg/l
• Manganese (Mn) < 0.02 mg/l
• Copper (Cu) < 0.005 mg/l
• Nitrate < 50 mg/l
• Inorganic salt < 500 mg/l
• Organic Salt < 20 mg/l
• Dissolved solids < 1 mg/l
• Nitrite < 5 mg/l

22. Process wise Effluent in textile industry

23. Short Note: BOD, COD, TDS, TSS, DO

BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD, also called Biological Oxygen Demand) is the amount of
dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological microorganisms to break down organic material present in a
given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. The BOD value is most commonly
expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 °C.

COD: The COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) value indicates the amount of oxygen which is needed for the
oxidation of all organic or inorganic substances in water in mg/l or g/m3. The most common application of
COD is in quantifying the amount of oxidizable pollutants found in surface water (e.g. lakes and rivers) or
wastewater.

TDS: Total dissolved solids (TDS) is the term used to describe the inorganic salts and small amounts of
organic matter present in solution in water. The principal constituents are usually calcium, magnesium,
sodium, and potassium cations and carbonate, hydrogen carbonate, chloride, sulphate, and nitrate anions.

TSS: Total suspended solids (TSS) is the dry-weight of suspended particles, that are not dissolved, in a
sample of water that can be trapped by a filter. It is a water quality parameter used to assess the quality of a
specimen of any type of water or water body, ocean water for example, or wastewater after treatment in a
wastewater treatment plant.

DO: DO that means Dissolved Oxygen is the amount of gaseous oxygen (O2) dissolved in the water.
Adequate dissolved oxygen is important for good water quality and necessary to all forms of life. Dissolved
oxygen levels that drop below 5.0 mg/L cause stress to aquatic life. Oxygen levels that go below 1-2 mg/L
for a few hours may result in large fish kills.

24. ETP process description.

Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) in Textile Dyeing Industry-

The textile dyeing industry uses a lot of water and chemicals. After dyeing, washing, and finishing, a large
amount of wastewater is produced. This water contains dyes, salts, acids, alkalis, chromium, and other
toxic substances. If it is discharged without treatment, it reduces dissolved oxygen in rivers and ponds,
harms aquatic life, and pollutes the environment.

An Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) is designed to clean this wastewater. In an ETP, different processes
like neutralization, biological treatment, and sludge removal are carried out. These processes remove
harmful chemicals, reduce BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand),
and make the water safe for disposal. Regular monitoring of the effluent is necessary to ensure that the ETP
is working properly and to prevent environmental damage.

Categories of Textile Wastes

The wastes from textile industries can be divided into four broad groups:

1. Hard-to-Treat Wastes
These wastes resist treatment and remain in the environment for a long time. They include non-
biodegradable chemicals such as dyes, metals, phenols, pesticides, surfactants, and phosphates.
2. Hazardous or Toxic Wastes
These are a more dangerous type of hard-to-treat waste because of their serious effect on health
and the environment. Examples include heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, and volatile organic
chemicals. They are often produced during machine cleaning and other non-process activities.
 3. High-Volume Wastes
These are wastes produced in large quantities. Wastewater with high concentrations of alkalis,
salts, acids, and other toxic chemicals belongs to this group. Even though each unit may not be
very toxic, the large volume makes it a serious problem.
4. Dispersible Wastes
These wastes spread easily in water or air, causing wide pollution. They are generated from
operations like dyeing, printing, finishing, and washing. Examples include leftover print paste,
lint, foam from coating, solvents, and dumped finishing mixes.

25. Source of waste water.

Different sources of wastewater:

1. Domestic wastes: These comprises of wastes from sinks, toilets, washing machines etc. They contain
solids, organic matter, ammonia, some metals and large numbers of faecal bacteria.
2. Industrial wastes: These comprises of metals, toxic organic compounds and acids. They are produced
from washing, processing and cooling in industries. The wastes may be present as suspension or solution
form.
3. Surface drainage: These comprises of metals, bacteria, organic solids. It comes from runoff from
impermeable areas like pavements, roads, car parking etc. The flow is a reflection of the precipitation.
4. Agricultural waste water: These comprises of animal waste, bacteria, nutrients, organic matter,
fertilizers, pesticides. It happens where there is intensive farming.
5. Leachates: These comprises of effluents that contains organic matter, metal, pesticide etc. It originates
from solid waste of domestic, industrial or agriculture use.

26. Why sludge management is necessary?

Sludge management is necessary for several reason-

 With the growing population, accompanied by industrial development and expansion of city area, the
volume of sludge from industrial and municipal wastes are increasing tremendously which is posing
adverse and profound environmental impacts.
 Hence, it has become a dire necessity to identify the nature of toxic contents in the sludge and
judicious measures be taken for their safe disposal. As per the Bangladesh Environment Conservation
Act, 1995 (Amendment 2010) proper management of sludge is mandatory.

27. Distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic decomposition.

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Decomposition-

Aspect Aerobic Decomposition Anaerobic Decomposition

Breakdown of organic matter in the presence Breakdown of organic matter in the absence of
Definition
of oxygen. oxygen.

Microorganisms
Aerobic bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes. Anaerobic bacteria, methanogens.
involved
 Carbon dioxide (CO₂), water (H₂O), heat, Methane (CH₄), hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), ammonia
End Products
stable humus. (NH₃), organic acids, foul-smelling sludge.

Odor Generally no foul smell; fresh earthy smell. Produces bad odor (rotten eggs, sewage smell).

Rate of Process Faster decomposition. Slower decomposition.

Energy Release Releases a lot of heat energy. Releases less heat energy.

Composting of garden waste, decay of organic Decomposition in waterlogged soils, swamps, biogas
Examples
matter in well-aerated soil. plants, septic tanks.

28. Gravity belt filter method of sludge dewatering.

Gravity Belt Filter method-

 The sludge is continuously fed in this system, where there is also a chemical conditioning stage,
generally with polyelectrolytes.
 In the band filter, a gravity drainage is produced and then the sludge is passed through a mechanical
application of pressure to produce dehydration, due to the action of the porous fabrics.
 It is a cheap method, since it does not need a big initial investment, the maintenance and operation costs
are low and the installation represents low energy consumption.

29. Challenges for sludge management in Bangladesh.

Problems in Industrial Waste and Sludge Management-

1. Mixed Wastewater
o Waste streams are not separated, so mixtures become complex and difficult to classify.
o This makes it hard to choose the right treatment or disposal method.
2. High Cost of Analysis
o Testing wastewater with many pollutants is expensive and complicated.
o Industries often struggle to ensure their wastewater meets safe disposal standards.
3. Limited Recycling & Reuse
o Recycling or reuse technologies are sometimes unavailable, too costly, or lack enough
capacity.
o Sludge production is increasing, but proper reuse options are limited.
 4. Lack of Proper Disposal Facilities
o In Bangladesh, facilities like safe landfills or incineration plants are not sufficient,
especially for hazardous wastes.
o Without these, sustainable sludge management cannot be achieved.
o New facilities must be planned and built for safe final disposal.

30. Basic Principle of Waste Management.

Basic Principle of Waste Management:

Figure represents the waste management

hierarchy and its basic steps. Also it includes
some basic information about this waste
management concept. In this concept, the most
favourable option is ‘REDUCE.’ Simply, it
minimizes the amount of waste produced from
each production process. Disposal is the least
promising option in this hierarchy. From top to
bottom mainly there are five options here. Reuse,
Recycle and Recover are the other three options.
According to the industry and its facilities, we
can apply this waste management concept to
implement a proper waste management system.

31. Environmental and economic benefits of managing textile waste.

Environmental and economic benefits of managing textile waste:

 Maximizing the fibre reuse reduces the cost of purchasing the material and the use of the
generated solid waste thus increases revenue.
 As the textile industry emits large amount of wastewater compared to other industries, so,
improving the quality of wastewater contributes to reducing water pollution.
 The effect on the environment from emissions caused by solid waste can be reduced and a
significant amount of energy can be saved.
 90% of discarded fibre by the consumers can be recycled.
 Achieving sustainable fashion can be economically viable and greatly contributes to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and has enormous environmental benefits.
 Reduces the amount of waste added to the environment.

32. Present a short note on chlorobenzenes including its sources, reason for concern and
alternatives.

Chlorobenzenes

Sources:
Chlorobenzenes are used in the dyeing process as carriers or levelling agents. They are more often used in
polyester and polyester blend textiles, rather than natural textiles.
Harmfulness:
They can be toxic by inhalation or skin contact and can accumulate in the body over time affecting the
liver, thyroid and central nervous system. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), the most toxic chemical of this
group is also a hormone disruptor. Chlorobenzenes are restricted under EU law in the production of
apparel, footwear and accessories above the dose of 1.0mg/kg.

Alternatives:
Dyeing carriers composed of aromatic esters and substituted phenols such as benzyl benzoate. This
dyeing carrier requires no additional solvents for dilution.

33. Detailed a short note on phthalates including its sources, reason for concern and
alternatives.

Phthalates can be found in-

• Plastics (plastic accessories, plastic buttons, plastic sleeves).
• Synthetic fibres.
• Synthetic and natural blends.
• Print paste.

Phthalates are harmful because-

• Phthalates are classed as “toxic to reproduction” in Europe and can impair fertility.
Commonly found in human tissue, blood and breast milk, they can rapidly metabolize to their
more toxic ‘monoester’ form.
• Phthalates are toxic to aquatic organisms.

Alternatives
Use safe plasticizers recommended by European Council for Plasticisers & Intermediates (ECPI), like
Adipates, Sebacates, Trimellitates Benzoates Polyesters Citrates.

34. Write short note on Oeko-tex 100 standard.

35. Product class of oeko tex standard.

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is an internationally recognized standard which assures that harmful substances
are not present in products (textiles, leather and trim components) in concentrations that are detrimental to
human health. The standard is divided into 4 classes each relating to the end use of a product.

The 4 classes acc. to their contact with human skin are listed below:

 Product Class 1: Babies and children up to the age of 3 years, including Home products, clothing,
toys, bed linen, terry cloth etc. excluding leather clothing.
 Product Class 2: Textiles with direct contact to the skin e.g. shirts, t-Shirt, Polo- shirt, bed sheets,
underwear etc.
 Product class 3: Textile without direct contact to the skin e.g. Jackets, coats, buttons, trims,
interlinings.
 Product class 4: Decorative materials. e.g. tablecloths, curtains, wall coverings, furnishing
fabrics.
36. Short note on Bluesign.

 BLUESIGN is a sustainability standard that guarantees the highest level of security or harmless for
consumers.
 BLUESIGN represents the vision and mind-set of responsible and sustainable manufacturing of
textile consumer products.
 Responsible actions with regard to people, the environment and resources.
 BLUESIGN is a system that provides holistic approach to trace each textile’s path along the
manufacturing process, making improvements at every stage from factory floor to finished product.
 A BLUESIGN® product is only offered by brands that have committed to the BLUESIGN® system.
A sustainable product of this type consists of at least 90% BLUESIGN® approved textiles and 30%
BLUESIGN® approved accessories. The goal is to reach 100 % BLUESIGN® confirmed
components. The entire product guarantees the highest degree of assurance to the consumer.

Focal Areas:

1. People – Consumer protection + Occupational Health and safety.

2. Environment- water, air, noise, waste and soil contamination.
3. Resources- energy, water, dyes, chemicals and other raw materials.

37. Banned substance of oeko tex standard.

Categories of banned substances-
There are three categories of banned products/substances by Oeko tex standard 100 as listed below-

1. BANNED PRODUCTS- Totally removed from all production process and finished products. E.g. some
AZO group.
2. RESTRICTED PRODUCTS- Concerned with the limited use. The presence of Formaldehyde is
restricted to 20 ppm in children wears upto 3 years by certain retailers.
3. PHASE OUT PRODUCTS- Products that will be phased out (banned/restricted) after a given time
period. For example, sand blasting is phased out now for many retailers.

38. Write down registration and evaluation process of REACH.

REGISTRATION

 Any chemical company manufacturing or importing a chemical in amount of more than one ton per year
will be required to provide retailers and customers with basic toxicity and exposure information after 10
years’ transitional period over.
 For the absence of such information, the chemicals will not be allowed on the market.
 Certain chemicals, such as most intermediates, polymers, and research and development chemicals will
be exempted from these requirements.
 Information on chemical toxicity will be compiled into a European database managed by a new
European chemicals agency.
EVALUATION

 Data submitted by manufacturers for chemicals will be evaluated by governing authorities to avoid
duplicative testing and determine whether additional data or restrictions are necessary.
 There are three types of evaluation under REACH:
1. Dossier evaluation (checking compliance, testing protocols) performed by the European Chemicals
Agency;
2. Substance evaluation (identify potential risk, prioritization of substance for further evaluation)
performed by a Member State: to clarify any grounds for considering that a substance constitutes a
risk to human health or the environment;
3. Member States can also evaluate intermediates chemicals if required.

39. Alternatives of formaldehyde?

Alternatives of formaldehyde-

➢ Poly carboxylic acid may be one alternatives.

➢ Alternative formaldehyde-free finishing agent containing glyoxal.
➢ Technically possible to use finishing agent with low or zero formaldehyde product.

40. Explain fibre production criteria and environmental criteria for GOTS certifications.

Fiber Production:

The key criteria for fibre production can be identified as:

-Organic certification of fibres on basis of recognized international or national standards e.g. EEC
834/2007; USDA NOP.
- A textile product carrying the ‘GOTS label grade 1’ organic must contain a minimum of 95% certified
organic fibres and
- A product with the ‘GOTS label grade 2’ made with organic must contain a minimum of 70% certified
organic fibres and rest 30 % non-organic fibres.

Environmental Criteria

 All chemical inputs (e.g. dyes, auxiliaries and process chemicals) must be evaluated and meeting basic
requirements on toxicity and biodegradability/eliminability.
 Prohibition of critical inputs such as toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, functional
nano-particles, genetically modified organisms (GMO) and their enzymes.
 The use of synthetic sizing agents is restricted; knitting and weaving oils must not contain heavy
metals.
 Bleaches must be based on oxygen (no chlorine bleaching).
 Azo dyes that release carcinogenic amine compounds are prohibited.
 Discharge printing methods using aromatic solvents and plastisol printing methods using phthalates
and PVC are prohibited,
 Wet processing units must keep full records of chemicals, energy, and water consumption, along with
wastewater treatment and sludge disposal.
 All wastewater must be treated in a properly functioning effluent treatment plant before discharge.