Abstract:

This article presents research results of the adaptation of the bioinducative measuring method to evaluate the toxicity of textiles. In the experiment, Tetrahymena pyriformis as a bioindicator and formaldehyde, a well known toxic substance used in some finishing processes, were used as a sample chemical substance. To examine the usefulness of the bioindicative method in the safety evaluation of textiles, formaldehyde harmfulness within the range 1.5 – 50 mg/L of the solution and extracts of textiles with an analytically determined content of formaldehyde were analysed in the presence of a bioindicator. Changes in cell development in formaldehyde solutions, extracts as well as in group control, were registered by directly measuring the optical density over time (0 - 24 h period), and microscopic observations and absorbance measurements were made in the presence of the alamarBlue® cell viability reagent. Empirical data enabled to fit logistic curves, on the basis of which the level of formaldehyde toxicity in dependence on time was estimated. The experiment performed showed
a high toxicity of formaldehyde as well as the possibility of the application of the bioindicative measuring method based on ciliate to estimate very small amounts of formaldehyde in water solutions and textile extracts.