Environmental sciences of coloring: Present and future

This review describes the present and future of coloring materials and techniques from the environmental chemistry perspective. Due to their toxicity, pigments and dyes are often regarded as environmental pollutants. Furthermore, the environmental impacts of their impurities and solvents are being addressed as environmental issues. This article comprehensively reviews the research on the environmental influences of coloring materials and recent studies aimed at solving the environmental problems associated with pigments and dyes. This study summarizes various environmental issues, including soil contamination by inorganic pigments containing heavy metals in parks and roads and the risk of the transformation of azo dyes into mutagenic substances in aquatic environments. Furthermore, it introduces methods to counteract pollution caused by coloring materials, including various technologies for removing dyes, as well as possibilities for clothing recycling. Finally, it presents a vision for innovative coloring technologies for a sustainable future, such as the application of structural colors that eliminate the need for coloring agents.