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The article focuses on the trend of optimization in textile chemical properties to meet the evolving eco-labels and green certifications. The author assesses that the trend are not exclusive in the existing models that forecast technological innovation, but influenced the design of textile chemicals. He perceives that the future of textile products will not be allowed, by consumer and retailers, to contain highly toxic substances, nor they will be produced under socially unacceptable conditions. He views that if textile chemists will pay attention to these criteria into their chemical designs, higher value, more sustainable textile chemical products will be produced.

The article focuses on the use of vitro test methods and a computer model in determining textile chemical skin irritation effects as well as wastewater impacts. It explores the use of the BurcoCare™ technology from Burlington Chemical Co. which is said to utilize Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test methods in estimating biodegration rates, biomass impact and Daphnia acute toxicity. Skintex and Corrositex are cited as two test kits based on artificial membranes that can be used to model irritation potential or skin corrosion. It concludes that affordable and systematic data are obtained from the use of OECD standard screening methods and in vitro technology which can be applied in the estimation of environmental impacts and consumer safety information.

Acute and chronic static aquatic toxicities of four classes of non-biodegraded textile processing surfactants were determined for the water fleas Daphnia pulex and Ceriodaphnia dubia/affinis. The compounds tested included: NGNIGNICS - nonyl phenol ethoxylate (NPI0), linear alcohol ethoxylate (IAE), diethanol amide of coconut fatty acid (DAC) and TTE-7; ANIONICS - sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DDBSA), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium alcohol ether sulfate (AES) ; CATIONICS - benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (BTMAC), tertiary tallow amine ethoxylates (TAM-15 and TAM-150) and N alkyl dimethyl benzyl araronium chloride (NADBAC) ; and AMPHOTERIC - Cocoamphocarboxypropionate (CPP). Generally, nonbiodegraded surfactant concentrations were toxic in the range of 1 - 67 ppm. Acute static LC50 determinations, in ppm, were: NP-10 12.52, LAE 5.36, DAC 2.40, TTE-7 17.28, DDBSA 19.87, SLS 27.83, AES 20.21, BTMAC 11.94, TAM-15 4.10, TAM-150 66.09, NADBAC <0.5, and CPP 159.11. Chronic "no effect" concentrations, in ppm, for representative surfactants from each group were: IAE 1.0, DDBSA 4.0, TAM-150 20.0 and CPP 10.0. For two cationic ethoxylated surfactants with known HLBs, the one with the lower value was more toxic to test organsisms. The toxicities of TTE-7 and NADBAC were reduced 22 and 460x upon reaction with hypochlorite and mixing with SLS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]