Chapter 21 - Toxicity of pharmaceutical azo dyes

Abstract

Dyes are an integral part of our everyday lives with prolonged antiquity. Initially, native plants and insects were utilized as sources in the dye industry, but later on, synthetic processing methods were gradually adopted. Unfortunately, some synthetic dyes are reported for showing toxicity and mutagenicity, and therefore they are now banned worldwide. Nevertheless, azo dyes are still used and manufactured today due to little cost and attractive properties. The removal and handling of azo dyes from wastewater is a difficult task. Although azo dyes are resistant to traditional aerobic biological, and physiological treatment methods, they are neither environmentally sustainable nor cost-effective. Hence, they must be investigated for novel remediation approaches. This chapter explores the chemistry, potential sources, and different approaches used in synthetic azo dyes. Furthermore, it discusses pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics effect, toxicity, regulatory prospects, approaches to reduce toxicity, and application of azo dyes in the pharmaceutical industry.