Use and production

Alizarin (also known as 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone, Mordant Red 11, C.I. 58000, and Turkey Red) is an organic compound that has been used throughout history as a prominent red dye, principally for dyeing textile fabrics. Historically it was derived from the roots of plants of the madder genus. In 1869, it became the first natural dye to be produced synthetically.

Alizarin is the main ingredient for the manufacture of the madder lake pigments known to painters as rose madder and alizarin crimson. 

Toxicity

It is a remarkable fact that the anthraquinone dyes are growing into more and more important, because of their bright color (violet, blue, and green), high fixation rate, and strong color fastness. Therefore, they might be existed in greatly or relatively high concentrations in wastewaters originating from the textile and dyeing industry.

Anthraquinone dyes are extremely resistant to biodegradation owing to their fused aromatic structures, thus they have progressively allured crucial attention from toxicological and environmental points of view, especially in light of the current increase in their applications.