Some Aspects of Water Resource Pollution by Textile Waste

Abstract

Water pollution represents a major global and regional environmental challenge, driven predominantly by anthropogenic activities and associated with adverse effects on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and biodiversity. Among the industrial sectors contributing to water consumption and wastewater generation, the textile industry is of particular environmental concern. Textile manufacturing is a water-intensive process in which substantial volumes of water and diverse chemical substances are used throughout multiple production stages, including fiber processing, yarn manufacturing, weaving, dyeing, printing, washing, and finishing. Consequently, inadequately treated textile effluents and poorly managed textile waste constitute potential sources of chemical and particulate pollution in aquatic environments.

An important pathway for the introduction of textile-derived pollutants into aquatic systems is the laundering of garments manufactured from synthetic fibers. Mechanical forces generated during washing, combined with abrasion and fiber fragmentation, can release microscopic textile fibers from polyester, polyamide, acrylic, and other synthetic materials. These textile microfibers are discharged with domestic wastewater and subsequently transported to wastewater treatment facilities.   Consequently, residual microfibers may be released with treated effluents into receiving water bodies. Once introduced into river systems, these particles can be transported downstream and may ultimately reach coastal and marine environments, including the Black Sea.

In addition to microfiber pollution, textile manufacturing wastewater represents an important potential source of chemical contaminants. Wastewater generated during dyeing, printing, washing, and finishing operations may contain a complex mixture of organic dyes, surfactants, salts, heavy metals, auxiliary chemicals, and other process-related compounds.

The Rioni River flows through densely populated regions of western Georgia, and several informal and unauthorized waste disposal sites are located in its vicinity. Local residents sometimes dispose of household waste, including textile waste, directly into rivers, further contributing to water pollution.

This article examines the primary sources of textile waste and the pathways by which it enters the aquatic environment; particular attention is paid to the need for monitoring textile microfibers in the Rioni River basin, the necessity of improving wastewater treatment systems, and the general methodology for future research.