The Waste Problem of Antimicrobial Finishing

Abstract

Growing awareness of health and hygiene has increased the demand for bioac-tive or antimicrobial textiles. As a result the global market of antimicrobial textile products has been growing day by day. Antimicrobial finishing protects the wearer from microorganisms for aesthetic, hygiene, or medical reasons and protects the textile from biodeterioration caused by mold, mildew, and fungi. Antimicrobial textile products have crucial functions such as ensuring hygienic conditions and preventing spread of diseases especially crowded places like hospitals, baby nurseries , and barracks. However the antimicrobial agents used in antimicrobial finishing have adverse effects (toxic, allergic, and carcinogenic) on wearer and all the living organisms during the antimicrobial textile product's production and serving life. The effects of finish content released in waste water bath and the release of finish content to surrounding skin of user and its contact/inhalation/consumption by other living species require studies. The contamination substances in the sludge may be consumed by the cultivated plants, eventually becoming component in feed and food. Contamination is also possible in water and soil organisms. The chapter is about the waste problem of the antimicrobial finishing (especially metal-based antimicrobial finishing and triclosan-based antimicrobial finishing).