Evidence exists to indicate regular and long term use of hair dyes can be associated with the development of the cancer which kills more than 4,000 in the UK each year.

This potential risk is one of a number of side-effects the widespread use of colour dyes on hair, fabrics and clothes can have on health and the environment.

Researchers from Questor, Queen's Environmental Centre and Europe's only industry/university co-operative research centre, will be reporting on the latest results from a four year research project into reducing the impact of such dyes on our health and the environment at the conference.

Explaining the importance of the research to both the dye industry and the public, Ciaran Prunty from Questor's applied technology unit, said: " Colour dyes are not something that often crop up in many people's list of environmental and health concerns.

"However, almost all of the clothes and fabric that surround us have been treated with colour dyes and many of us also use dyes to colour our hair.

"For EU residents, research projects such as this are vital in providing intelligence in order to help reduce the implications of toxicity and other issues.

"Traditionally weaker than other sectors in research and development, the results from Questor and the other partner institutions, which will be discussed at this week's conference, will provide a shot in the arm for the dyestuff industry and pave the way for the use and development of greener technologies."

During dyeing processes, up to 40% of the dyes are not consumed by the surface they are being applied to, meaning they find their ways into wastewater and are flushed into the environment.

Further information on Questor's project can be found at the website: http://www.sophied.net/