Textile
processing generates many waste streams, including water-based effluent as well
as Air emissions, water pollution, and hazardous wastes. The nature of the
waste generated Depends on the type of textile facility, the processes and
technologies being operated, and the types of fibers and chemicals used.
1 Air Pollutants:
Most processes
performed in textile mills produce atmospheric emissions. Gaseous emissions
have been identified as the second greatest pollution problem (after effluent
quality) for the textile industry.
Speculation
concerning the amounts and types of air pollutants emitted from textile
operations has been widespread, but, generally, air emissions data for textile
manufacturing operations are not readily available. Most published data are
based on mass-balance calculations, not direct measurements.
Air pollution is
the most difficult type of pollution to sample, test, and quantify in an audit.
Measurement techniques such as direct reading tubes and gas chromatography
(GC)/mass spectrometer have been used recently to collect more reliable data.
Continued collection of air emissions
data from textile operations will result in better definitions of industry
norms. Efforts are now underway to establish a reliable set of emissions
factors for textiles; however, no set is currently available that can be
recommended for audit purposes.
Air emissions
can be classified according to the nature of their sources:
Point sources: Specific
discharge points, such as stacks or vents, that are intended to be the point of
atmospheric release for emissions. ( Boilers are one of the major point sources
of air emissions in the textile industry. Primarily because of emissions of
nitrogen and sulfur oxides from boilers)
Fugitive
sources: Sources
for more general atmospheric emissions such as those that occur through
evaporation, leaks, and spills.
In recent years,
textile materials have been linked to indoor air quality (IAQ) problems.
Textile materials that emit pollutants (primary emitters) as well as those that
sorb and reemit air pollutants indoors (secondary emitters) are a concern for
the textile industry. At this time, researchers are studying primary emissions
from the types of textile process residues listed below:
Chemical
finishes
Dyeing process
residues
Assembly and
fabrication residues
Textile
manufacturing is one of the largest industrial producers of waste water. On
average, approximately 160 pounds of water (20 gallons) are required to produce
1 pound of textile product. Textile also is a chemically intensive industry,
and therefore, the waste water from textile processing contains processing bath
residues from preparation, dyeing, finishing, and other operations. These
residues can cause damage if not properly treated before discharge to the
environment
4 Hazardous
Waste:
Most textile
operations produce little or no hazardous waste as part of their routine
operations, but a small percentage of textile mills (perhaps 10 percent to 20
percent) are hazardous waste generators. Any facility that uses chemicals can
produce hazardous waste if a chemical exhibiting the hazardous characteristics
of ignitability, toxicity, corrosively, reactivity, or flammability is spilled
on the ground. The contaminated soil from such a spill is often hazardous waste
by the legal definition and must be handled accordingly.
Generators must
prepare both for routine handling of hazardous waste and for emergencies
through proper training, equipment, and policies. For facilities that generate
and handle hazardous waste, hazardous waste policies are essential. Policies
must be realistic and must actually encourage proper practices. Policies
designed mainly to protect the employer from liability and that do not actually
promote safety and pollution prevention should be avoided.