Ecotoxicological Impact Assessment of the Production of Cotton Fabric

Textiles and garments are increasingly being included in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies because the use of chemicals in industrial production of these items has potential environmental impacts. The USEtox model, characterized by ecotoxicity characterization factors based on abundant data, is a useful tool for assessing the toxicity of chemical pollutants. The objectives of this study were to estimate characterization factors of cotton fabric-related chemicals based on data from a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model and assess the ecotoxicological impact of cotton woven fabric. The research boundary ranged from fabric production to wet treatment. Wet treatment was found to contribute more to ecotoxicity than fabric production did, with primary alcohol ethoxylate and sodium hydroxide being the main pollutants.