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Dear Amber: I know phosphates in dishwashing
detergent can be bad for the environment. Are there
kinds with low phosphates that I can buy in normal grocery
stores?
-Melissa, East Lansing
A
Who would have thought that products we use to get squeaky-clean
dishes could lead to slimy-green beaches?
I
checked on the levels of several store-bought detergents
and have listed my findings in the table below. It's
all on the label. I didn't find phosphate-free products,
but Palmolive Gel is at 1.6%. You can easily get reasonably-priced
phosphate-free products (brands like Seventh Generation
and Ecover) at many food co-ops and online.
Phosphorus
Content of
Major Dishwashing Detergents
Palmolive
Gel 1.6%
Cascade Complete (liquid) 4.0%
Cascade PureRinse 4.4%
Sunlight Powder 4.5%
Electra-Sol Gel 4.9%
All 5.1%
Sunlight Tablets 8.7%
Electra-Sol Tablets 8.7%
Dishwasher detergent has more phosphate than other household
cleaners. A legal loophole left dishwasher detergent
phosphate limits at 8.7%, even though laundry detergent
phosphates were limited to 0.5% by weight in 1977. Few
homes had a dishwasher then, but they are standard in
most homes now. This is troublesome for septic system
users, especially lakeshore and riverfront homeowners.
(Be sure to take low-phosphorus detergent to cabins
"up north" this summer as well.)
Phosphorus
can cause algae and phytoplankton over-growth on the
water, called a "bloom." In the end, too much
phosphorus causes water quality problems that can affect
the taste, color, smell and aesthetics of waters used
for drinking or recreation.
You
can go one step further and check the phosphate levels
of your fertilizer this spring, as runoff is a huge
pollution contributor as well. The label lists the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium
levels. Select one that has little or no phosphorus
to prevent runoff.
Spring
brings all kinds of green things. By reducing phosphate
quantities we contribute now, we can keep green from
sprouting where we don't want it.
Amber
Shinn is MEC's Communications and Development Specialist,
writing with answers for oft-asked environmental questions.
If you have a question you'd like answered, send it
to Amber at MEC, 119 Pere Marquette, Suite 2A, Lansing
MI 48912 or e-mail it to ambermec@voyager.net
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