OVERVIEW

Over the last few decades, society has become increasingly sensitive towards the protection of the environment. We have developed a concern over a range of issues, amongst the most extensively debated being the destruction of the rain forests, global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Over this period, the chemical manufacturing industry has been faced with the need to address its responsibility towards a wide range of health, safety and environmental issues, and indeed, probably its most significant current challenges are associated with the requirement to satisfy the demands of stringent environmental controls. Concern about the potential adverse effects of the chemical industry on the environment is global nowadays, although the response in some parts of the world has been much faster and more intense than in others. The colour manufacturing industry represents a relatively small part of the overall chemical industry. It may be described, in general, as a small-volume, multiproduct industry and it has traditionally been highly innovative, constantly seeking to introduce new products. This has led to a requirement to address a wide range of toxicological and ecotoxicological issues both in the manufacture of dyes and pigments and in their application. This chapter seeks to present an overview of some of the more important general issues, without attempting to be comprehensive, because the diversity of chemical types and applications of dyes and pigments means that the range of individual issues is immense. A detailed discussion of the legislation and controls introduced by governments and...