Environment and Health: SOPHIED, a european project to help the colour industry.

Colour dyes are not something that often crop up in many people's list of environmental and health concerns. However, almost all of the clothes and fabric that surround us have been treated with colour dyes and many of us also use dyes to colour our hair.

Epidemiological evidence exists to indicate regular and long term use of hair dyes for women can be associated with the development of bladder cancer, while during dyeing processes, up to 40 per cent of the dyes are not consumed by the substrate to which they are applied and they then find their ways into wastewaters and are flushed into the environment.

The latest results of a major four year EU-funded flagship research project into reducing the impact of dyes on health and the environment will be unveiled at Queen's University Belfast next week.

Known as SOPHIED (Sustainable Bioprocesses for the European Colour Industries), project researchers at Queen's and their European partners have been actively developing new durable bioprocesses destined to modernise the European Colour Industry.

download the SOPHIED press pack >>