How dose washing powder hellp algae to form?

Question

wat in the washing powder forms algae?

Answer 1

Many detergents contain phosphate salts, which provide a wonderful food source for algae.

You'll see that many powder detergents nowadays are phosphate-free.

Answer 2

washing powder (or "laundry detergent") once relied on phosphates to "soften" the wash water and prevent "soap scum". "Hard" water is saturated with calcium ions and fatty acids in the soiled clothing reacted with these ions forming the calcium salts of fatty acids which accumulated as an unattractive white scum. The phosphates prevented the calcium to binding to the fatty acids, and eliminated the scum. However, once the wash water was flushed into the sewer, the phosphates entered the environment. In ponds and rivers, the phosphates accelerated the growth of algae. Phosphorus is one of the three "macro nutrients" plants need as food; the other two are nitrogen and potassium. Most chemical fertilizers have an "NPK" rating and this refers to the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. An overgrowth of algae can bring down the oxygen levels in ponds and lakes. This can kill fish and the decaying fish then drive the oxygen levels even lower. Phosphorus was eventually seen to be a major pollutant, and most laundry detergents use other chemicals to soften water. Phosphorus can still pollute water when heavy rain washes fertilizers from farmer's fields into rivers. Feed lots and hog farms can also pollute water by phosphates present in manure although the major pollutant is nitrogen.

Answer 3

Phosphates in Laundry soap as well as Photosynthesis form algae in water.

Answer 4

phosphates in laundary soap react/combine with other minerals in the water which yields oxygen in someway and the increase of oxygen produce algae blooms in the water.

Answer 5

Phosphate groups.