USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center SIS Project

Accession Number

5001809

Title

Impacts of the textile industry on Georgia's waters

Project Description

The textile industry is economically important in Georgia and the Southeast, but effluents from the

textile plants, particularly those involved with dyeing, contain high concentrations of dyes, NaCl

and other chemicals. These chemicals often cause problems for the municipal sewage treatment

facilities in staying in compliance with their waste water-quality permits. The State of Georgia has

requested that the University of Georgia provide research expertise to assist in addressing the

water quality issues of the textile industry. Through the University, the USGS Patuxent Wildlife

Research Center is providing research assistance with regard to factors that influence effluent

toxicity. The Consortium on Competitiveness in the Apparel, Carpet, and Textiles Industries

(CCACTI) was established at the University of Georgia at the request of the State Legislature and

Governor to assist the Georgia textile industry in being competitive with foreign textile industries.

Many of the problems confronting the textile industry are associated with water quality of their

effluents and meeting State and Federal permit requirements. As part of the CCACTI team, we are

to identify the basic water quality parameters that influence the toxicity of textile effluents and

provide suggestions and information on how effluent chemistry can be modified in order to meet

permit requirements. Another part of this cooperative program is to evaluate the effectiveness of

treating the wastewater with ozonation to reduce the color imparted to the water from the dye and

to determine the effects that ozonation has on toxicity of the wastewater. Major issues that are

being evaluated are the significance of hardness and alkalinity to toxicity of textile effluents, the

importance of salinity to the toxicity, toxicity of specific chemical associated with the effluents

(such as surfactants), and the value of wetlands in removing the toxicity shown by the effluents.

Keywords

alkalinity, ceriodaphnia dubia, chlorination, color, common ions, dye, effluents, hardness,

ozonation, salinity, textile, wetlands,

Principal

Parley V Winger, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: parley_winger@usgs.gov; Peter J

Investigators

Lasier, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: pete_lasier@usgs.gov;

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