Team:UCL/Project/About
From 2014.igem.org
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- | <h4 class="widthCorrect">The Problem: Azo Dyes in the Environment</h4> | + | <h4 class="widthCorrect"> |
+ | <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/f/f8/UCLaboutproblem.jpg" width="100%" height="100%" alt="<h4 class="widthCorrect">The Problem: Azo Dyes in the Environment" /> | ||
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<p1>Since their accidental discovery by Sir William Henry Perkins in 1853 azo dyes have become one of the most popular forms of synthetic colourant used in the industrial manufacture of a variety of products ranging from clothing and upholstery to cosmetics and tattoo ink as well as many others. Although azo-dyes are widely regarded as a safe and stable form of synthetic colourant some of them can take on dangerous properties after they have been broken down by enzymes in the guts of organisms. In the textile industry alone, the annual production of dyestuff amounts to millions of tons globally with azo dyes representing two thirds of this value. In many countries, the leftover dye effluent produced by industrial manufacturers is often not properly disposed of, or removed, during water treatment. This results in the accumulation of azo dyes in water bodies where they are then ingested by aquatic organisms. The products of this enzymatic breakdown have been found to be both mutagenic and carcinogenic and have been linked to increased occurances of several different forms of cancer if they enter the food chain. Despite this toxicity and it's potential effect on human health, little to no effort has been made to dispose of these leftover azo dyes more responsibly.</p> | <p1>Since their accidental discovery by Sir William Henry Perkins in 1853 azo dyes have become one of the most popular forms of synthetic colourant used in the industrial manufacture of a variety of products ranging from clothing and upholstery to cosmetics and tattoo ink as well as many others. Although azo-dyes are widely regarded as a safe and stable form of synthetic colourant some of them can take on dangerous properties after they have been broken down by enzymes in the guts of organisms. In the textile industry alone, the annual production of dyestuff amounts to millions of tons globally with azo dyes representing two thirds of this value. In many countries, the leftover dye effluent produced by industrial manufacturers is often not properly disposed of, or removed, during water treatment. This results in the accumulation of azo dyes in water bodies where they are then ingested by aquatic organisms. The products of this enzymatic breakdown have been found to be both mutagenic and carcinogenic and have been linked to increased occurances of several different forms of cancer if they enter the food chain. Despite this toxicity and it's potential effect on human health, little to no effort has been made to dispose of these leftover azo dyes more responsibly.</p> |
Revision as of 19:24, 8 October 2014