What is AZO Dye?

AZO dye is a synthetic dye used to colour a wide range of consumer goods such as carpet, clothing, food, textiles and paints etc. Currently, AZO dyes make up over 50% of all commercial dyes in the market today.

How AZO dyes are made

A diazonium salt solution is coupled with a sodium phenoxide solution to form the AZO dye. The solutions are mixed under 5 degrees c to ensure the salts don’t decompose.

Issues with products containing AZO dyes

The European Union banned the use of certain AZO dyes in 1995 after identifying that some pigments released carcinogenic amines. Exposure to those amines has been linked to bladder cancer and basal cell carcinoma, a locally invasive skin cancer.

The list of banned aromatic amines (a derivative of AZO compounds) stated in the European Ban on Ceratin AZO dyes – 2004 had increased to include 22.

How do I know if my clothing contains AZO dyes?

In 2012 the European Committee for Standardisation had approved a new standard, EN 14362-1, to detect the use of certain aromatic amines derived from AZO colorants. Look for this standard when reviewing product documentation, or if that documentation isn’t available at store-level contact the distributor or manufacturer directly.

Environmental Effects

Due to lack of regulation, sub-standard products still enter the market under the radar leaving the environmental effects of landfilling these products unknown.

Alternatives to AZO

Plant-based dyes can be coupled with natural or chemical based colour fixatives to produce a non-toxic alternative. Try Pioneer Thinking for ideas.

Our Bamboo Gloves are made from non-toxic dyes that are AZO-free

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Sources:
Product Safety Australia – AZO Dyes
Science Direct – Analysis of carcinogenic amines
Science Direct – Carcinogenicity of azo colorants
European Ban on certain AZO dyes
The Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes – Restrictions on the use of AZO colourants
Karger Medical & Scientific Publishers – AZO pigments & basal cell carcinoma