Why have phosphates been removed from laundry detergents?

Answer 1

A small quantity of phosphate in river water reduces the quantity of oxygen gas dissolved in water to nearly zero. Only small fishes can survive and algae are blooming. The organic matter deriving from algae decaying in rivers and lakes increases the risk of poisoning of the ecosystem.

Answer 2

Phosphate is removed from laundry detergents because it has been proved to promote the growth of algae, which would not be good for the quality of water. In an experiment, the experimenter put carbon and nitrogen in one side of the ocean, and he put phosphate, carbon, and nitrogen on the other side of the lake. The side that has only carbon and nitrogen has no green algae bloom, but the side with phosphate has algae bloom. That's why we take out phospate from laundry detergents - because the experiment proved phosphates will cause algae bloom.

Answer 3

In the mid 1960s, many of the nation's rivers and lakes were rapidly turning green and choking with aquatic plant growth. A primary reason for these deleterious changes in water quality was the high levels of phosphorus, one of several major plant nutrients, found in domestic and municipal sewage effluents. The principal source of effluent phosphorus was from phosphates used in laundry detergents. This a reason why they were banned or significantly reduced in the laundry detergents.

Answer 4

Most laundry detergents leave some soap residue in the clothes, even after rinsing (you can test this -- just run a second rinse cycle after the washer has finished a load and you will see plenty of suds in the second rinse water.) That's why some people with sensitive skin get rashes from "clean" clothes, due to the residue. Actually, all the soap does is break the water tension (make it more slippery) -- it is the water that washes the clothes, not the soap (unless you have heavy grease stains). You can get the same affect as detergent by using the ceramic activation balls (they are actually cone-shaped) that molecularly change the water, instead of detergent. I got a set of those activation balls and my clothes come out just as clean using plain warm water as with detergent.

Answer 5

While phosphates were taken out for the environment, it amazes me that these old 50's theme joint serve Cherry Phosphate sodas. Phosphate is heavier than the cherry syrup I guess, since most times the vile stuff settles to the bottom. Now imagine slurping up a frosty draw of phosphate in your mouth. Mmmm, yucky!

Answer 6

Get into the water table when they go down the drain. Bad for the environment. Most countries have acceptable levels of phosphates for inclusion in detergents.

Answer 7

I think it was something to do with them getting in to water supplies, but I'm not 100% certain