IN-VITRO CYTOTOXICITY OF TEXTILE DYES AND EXTRACTS OF DYED FINISHED FABRICS/

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an in vitro test can give an indication of the overall toxicity of fabric extracts, and whe ther this toxicity correlates with the toxicity of the dyes and finish es used. Thirteen textile dyes and dyed/finished cotton fabrics were t ested by using the Hepa-1 cytotoxicity test. Black sulphur and two blu e reactive dyes were the most toxic, with IC50 (the concentration at w hich the total protein content was 50% of the protein content of non-e xposed cells) values of 40-65 mu g/ml. The least toxic dyes, the black and yellow mix reactive dyes, had IC50 values of 825 mu g/ml and 703 mu g/ml, respectively. There was no correlation between the toxicities of the dyes and the fabric extracts; the extract from naphthol-dyed f abric was the most cytotoxic. These results strongly support the hypot hesis that the toxicity of a fabric extract cannot be predicted direct ly from the toxicity of the dye itself. The results also showed that f lame-retardant and water/soil-repellent finishes can alter the cytotox icity. In vitro tests, as exemplified by the Hepa-1 cytotoxicity test, could provide useful information for developing new ecotextiles.