Sustainability

People who work with or use chemical dyes have been ignoring a public health issue. People who work in textile dyeing operations are often around aromatic amines, volatile organic chemicals, and heavy-metal mordants that can cause respiratory ailments, skin irritation, and, in rare circumstances, genetic harm [3]. Residual dye chemicals in garments can also be harmful to people because they can induce allergic reactions, dermatitis, and other long-term health concerns [1].

The bioenzyme dyeing approach we utilized in our project is safer and less hazardous for both the people who make it and the people who buy it. Enzymes are used to make melanin pigments, which don't contain recognized allergens like para-phenylenediamine (PPD) or chemicals that cause cancer that are used in conventional colors. Also, the procedure doesn't require heavy-metal mordants like chromium or copper sulfate, which keeps neurotoxic and bioaccumulative compounds out of places where people live. The gentle, water-based reaction conditions also make things safer for workers because they don't have to deal with toxic chemicals and high temperatures as much. Dermatologists talked about how switching to dyes made from living things could be good for your health during our Human Practices outreach. This emphasized how crucial it is for industrial chemistry to focus on new ideas that are safe. This project directly promotes SDG 3 by making the environment cleaner, workers healthier, and consumers safer. It also makes the industrial ecology better and more equitable [7].

People think that the textile sector is to blame for around 20% of all industrial water pollution in the globe. This is largely because the chemicals that are released during dyeing and finishing don't break down in water [5]. Synthetic dyes, especially azo dyes, include aromatic amines and metal mordants that are very resistant to microbial degradation. This means that rivers and groundwater will stay contaminated for a long time [2]. These contaminants not only harm aquatic ecosystems, but they also threaten the quality of drinking water and agriculture. They often affect communities that depend on these water supplies [6].

We are solving these environmental challenges by adopting an aqueous, enzymatic dyeing technique instead of chemical synthesis. This procedure works well at low temperatures and doesn't utilize any chemicals that are bad for you. Tyrosinase generates pigments that appear like melanin by chemically changing tyrosine derivatives. This procedure doesn't create heavy-metal waste or persistent organic contaminants. This procedure greatly lowers the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of effluent water, which makes it easier for wastewater treatment plants to manage. The procedure also employs water instead of organic solvents as the reaction medium, which makes it easy to get back and reuse the water used in the process. Our approach, then, helps manage freshwater resources over the long term, makes industrial waste less toxic, and is in line with the global goal of making sure everyone has access to clean water and sanitation and that they are managed in a way that is good for the environment [4,6].

Using synthetic biology to color fabrics is a huge step forward for industry. Our project demonstrates how biotechnological tools can transform manufacturing processes by incorporating efficient, renewable, and modular production technologies. Using E. coli as a host organism, we were able to create a fusion construct that united TyrBm (tyrosinase) with CipA, a scaffold protein that assembles itself. This architecture makes enzymes more stable and reusable, which means they can be used many times and lowers the cost of making them overall [7].

The project works in the lab and also gives the dye business a new approach to generate dyes that are healthy for the environment. Enzymatic pigment synthesis can be used in bioreactor systems that can make more products with less energy. This saves a lot of money on both infrastructure and operations. The system may change quickly because it is modular. You can generate a lot of various hues that are great for different types of textiles by changing the enzyme or substrate. This flexibility allows firms meet both the needs of the market and the laws of the environment without losing efficiency. Adding bio-based production to industrial infrastructure helps our initiative construct strong, low-carbon manufacturing frameworks. This gets us closer to industrialization that is both inclusive and long-lasting, and it also encourages new ideas in the textile industry [5].

To be sustainable in manufacturing, we need to change how we receive our materials, use them, and toss them away, not just make things more efficiently. Our approach of dyeing with enzymes aligns with the ideals of green chemistry and the circular economy since it uses ingredients that come from living things instead of petrochemical chemicals that can't be replenished. Tyrosine, the fundamental building block in our system, can come from natural or biosynthetic sources. This means that we can always receive more of it [7].

The procedure works best at a pH level that is close to neutral and at moderate temperatures, so there is no need for harsh chemicals or high-energy heaters. These factors make less waste, toxic pollutants, and unsafe work environments. Also, the enzymatic procedure makes very little waste and can be done with buffers and enzymes that may be used again. Traditional dye synthesis, on the other hand, makes a lot of harmful waste. The pigments made from melanin are safe for both factory workers and customers because they are not harmful and can break down on their own. By making dye production less harmful to the environment, our project supports a more circular production paradigm. This model makes sure that resources are used wisely, that waste is kept to a minimal, and that sustainability is built into every part of the product's existence. This immediately assists SDG 12's goal of making sure that all industries have means to make and use goods that are good for the environment [1,5].

Because they need fossil fuels for heat, chemical synthesis, and waste treatment, traditional dyeing procedures utilize a lot of energy and carbon. From manufacturing reagents to handling wastewater, every step puts a lot of CO₂, NOₓ, and SO₂ into the air, which adds to greenhouse gas emissions from industry [3]. Our enzymatic dyeing approach, on the other hand, is better for the environment because it operates under low-pressure, low-temperature, and water conditions, which saves a lot of energy [7].

By using biologically generated substrates and biocatalysts instead of petrochemical intermediates, our technique eliminates the requirement for fossil-based feedstocks. This makes carbon less important even more. Unlike typical synthetic dyes, our melanin pigments don't need to be polymerized at high temperatures or treated thereafter. This means that dyeing fabrics can have a much smaller carbon burden overall. The standards for carbon neutrality also say that using renewable biocatalysts is okay because biological systems naturally fit into the global carbon cycle without contributing more carbon to the air. This climate-smart approach not only cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, but it also shows how to make low-emission industrial innovations that many businesses may employ. This helps the world meet its climate action goals directly [6].