Goodbye, azo dyes
after prolonged ad hocism, the Union ministry of environment and forests ( mef ) has at last banned the use of azo dyes in India from June 23, 1997. These dyes were widely used for dyeing natural and synthetic fibres, leather, plastic, oils, fats, waxes, straw, timber, paper as well as food items. The dyes were banned through a gazette notification issued by the Government of India to be applicable throughout the country. About 70 dyes specified in the schedule to the notification will be covered by the ban. The mef observed that the azo dyes were carcinogenic in nature and hence, were dangerous to public health. The ban had been imposed under clause (d), sub-section (2) of section six of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Azo dyes are a class of synthetic organic dyes that contains nitrogen and belong to the azo group chemically known as '- n=n -'.Most of the commercial dyes belong to this class. It may be recalled that Germany was the first country to bring about a legislation to protect consumers from hazardous chemicals and other ingredients in consumer products. In 1994, Germany promulgated an ordinance known as German Consumer Goods Ordinance, which became effective from April 1996.
"The very fact that the government of India has banned the use of hazardous dyes is enough to prove that initiative taken by Germany was fully tenable and based on firm consideration of a long-term concern for the consumer the world over," said Dietrich Kebschull, director of Indo-German Export Promotion ( igep ). However, Kebschull said that export of textile and leather goods from India to Germany would not suffer on this account.
Industry experts opined that of the 200 azo dyes/pigments available in the market only 300 come under the ban, although according to the gazette notification, only 70 dyes have been banned. Welcoming the decision, M L Gulrajani, dean of the department of industrial r&d at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, said that other harmful dyes should be also be enlisted and banned.
At present, the maximum number of dye-stuff industries are located in Gujarat (746) and Maharashtra (136). Manufacturers envisage that the ban would result in a big loss to dye-stuff industries whose exports have significantly increased over the last few years. In 1995, the world market for dyes and pigments was 1.3 million tonne, where India's share was five per cent.
In fact, the chemical industry in different parts of the world are increasingly opting for safer dyes. The igep itself has recently prepared a list of safe dyes for industrial use. The Delhi-based Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing countries has also released a list of 'safer alternative' to 29 of the commonly used azo dyes/pigments in the country.