Textile dyes are potential hazards

Textile dyes used in either the textile industry or by the homemaker or craftsperson can present a health hazard to the user. Besides the obvious problem from the highly corrosive acids and bases used in some dyeing processes, the dyes themselves are potentially carcinogenic. There are several types of dyes, classified chemically and by dyeing procedure, including acid dyes, azoic dyes, basic dyes, direct dyes, disperse dyes, fiber reactive dyes, mordant dyes, oxidation dyes, vat dyes, and fluorescent brightening agents. Textiles are also colored by pigments in processes where the affinity of the coloring matter for the fiber is supplied by a resin binder. The Color Index lists over 3,250 dyes and pigments manufactured for textiles, paints, foods, and leather with published chemical formulas, and over 1,000 different dyes are currently produced in the United States. Both the craft-dyer and industial textile dyer are not always aware of the chemical dye class being used, and therefore cannot know the potential risk involved in the use of a particular dye. For this reason, each of the major dye classes is discussed separately herein, along with a brief description of typical dyeing procedures and fabrics dyed, to assist in better identification.