occupational hazards related to silk industry
Answers
Answer:
- Trivalent Chromium is used to fix silk dyes.
- It undergoes oxidation into Hexavalent Chromium.
- Exposure to Hexavalent chromium is hazardous to human health and increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
- Dermal exposure to Cr (VI) leads to skin irritation, ulcers, sensitization, and allergic contact dermatitis.
Sericulture is a labour oriented agro based industry that plays
a significant role in elevating the rural economy of India. India
is the largest producer and consumer of silk in the world, with
silk production of appropriately 20000 million tons which
generates a turnover of Rs 25,000 crores of which Rs2500
crores by foreign exchange by employing 5 lakh rearers and
rest are stake holders such as reelers, twisters, weavers, printers
etc. India is the only country producing all five types of silk
namely mulberry, tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga.
The major traditional states that produce silk are Telangana,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand,
Chattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal. The pure silk is used as
base material for weaving of Kanjeevaram, Banarasi, Mysore,
Pochampally, Chanderi, Paithani, Pathola, Baluchari, Tasar,eri
and muga silk sariesetc.
Silk production is a blend of ancient techniques and modern
innovations. The different components involved in silk
manufacturing are
1. Cultivation of mulberry and non-mulberry food plants
2. Rearing of different silkworms
3. Grainages (where are eggs are produced)
4. Reeling of filament
5. Twisting
6. Weaving
7. Printing and dyeing
Package of practices are followed to improve mulberry leaf
yield per unit area at low cost. The larvae which hatches from
the eggs feeds on food plants and forms cocoons after spinning.
The fully grown silkworms spins cocoons around itself by
twisting its head in a form of “S” or “8” to form silk which is
in liquid state within the silk gland and solidifies on contact
with air after being spitted through the spinneret. The silk is an
animal protein fiber produced by silkworms in order to encase
themselves in the form of cocoons to protect itself from adverse
climatic conditions. The next process is silk reeling, wherein
the cocoons are boiled in hot water to soften the sericin and
then carefully the filaments are reeled from 7-8 cocoons at a
time to create a single strand.
The reeled silk is formed into silk yarn or silk thread through
throwing. The raw silk skeins are sorted according to their
color, size, length after washing in warm water with soap or
oil. After skein drying, they are placed on reels from which it
is wound on to the bobbins. The strands are then doubled and
then given twists based on the kind of silk yarns. To get equal
diameter through out its length the yarn is run through rollers.
The filament is then weaved, the weaved fabric may be dyed
or printed according. Lastly, the silk fabric is subjected to
finishing processes in order to improve their appearance,
durability and feel. Calendering, cireing and singeing are done
to enhance luster and smoothness andsteaming for raising pile
weaves. To removes silk wrinkles from the finished fabric,
pressing or lustering is done with heated rollers and then
soaked in dilute acid to bring luster to silk fabric
Even though silkworm life cycle is ecofriendly, the workers in
silk industry are exposed to a number of health problems due
to lack of education, unaware of hazards of their occupation
general backwardness in the sanitation and poor nutrition.
Some of the factors that cause health problems are:
1. Use of organophosphates pesticides for control of
mulberry pests
2. Carbon monoxide which is released from use of burnt coal
for raising room temperature in winter season
3. Use of formalin (2%) and bleaching powder for
disinfection of rearing house
4. Use of bed disinfectants like RKO, Sanjeevini,
Surakshaetc made from paraformaldehyde
5. Handling of diseased worms and excreta with bare hands
6. Inhaling the moth scales during grainage processes trigges
asthma, conjunctivitis and respiratory problems
7. During reeling, the workers put their bare hands in hot
water (450
c)to feed the cocoons
8. During dyeing of silk fabrics about 70% benzidine based
silk colorants such as azo dyes are used.
9. Lead acetate and heavy metal complex dyes used during
coloring of silk fabrics affected the brain.
10. The millions of tons of dye effluent isbeing dumped into
the rivers which affects the reading and reasoning abilities
of child laboureres engaged in silk industry.
11. Pentachlorophenol (spray starch) is used to protect the silk
garments from mould attack.
12. The women who are easily available at less wagesin
reeling sectors are affected by various reproductive,
musculoskeletal, menstrual problems and high risk of
miscarriages as they stand and are exposed to hot water vapours in ill ventilated reeling units.
Hope it helps you.
S Harish Abhimanyu