Water pollution by detergents

The vast majority of detergents are Synthetic chemicals that are used both industrial and domestic and They end up contaminating water when thrown into wastewater. Here you can read about what the wastewater is and how they are classified.

Therefore, it is true that they exist echo alternatives that do not have such a harmful impact on the planet. For example, we can find products such as biodegradable eco capsules (Washabit) or homemade and natural detergents.

The detergents that They do not have the Ecolabel labelor those we could call ‘lifelong’, They can contaminate the waters in multiple ways. In fact, depending on their composition they can be more or less harmful to the planet. Generally, Soaps are not biodegradable And this causes each wash to be a source of water pollution, both sweet and salty, since waste is poured into fresh waters that flow into the sea and the ocean or, directly to these.

An example of how detergents pollute water is that, most detergents contain some chemicals called phosphates. These chemicals cause an imbalance in the growth of the plants and algae of the aquatic bioma and accelerate the eutrophication process of the waters of lakes, rivers and seas, which has a devastating effect on the environment. In fact, in some countries the use of detergents with phosphates has been prohibited.

Not only that, the own detergents packaging You can count on different types of plastics that make their recycling a very complicated task, since a very small part of the plastics that are discarded and The vast majority ends in seas, oceans, rivers or lakes. In this other article you can learn more about what the plastic islands are and how they form.

In addition, the bleaching detergents They are too Dangerous for the environment Because they contain chlorine, a chemist that accumulates in the tissues of living beings and can end up being harmful to their health. Not only that, the detergents containing antibacterial They also drastically unbalance life in the waters, since they directly affect aquatic bacterial life. All these effects, normally, come from what is known as “hard” detergentswhich are those produced synthetically and are not biodegradable. They are considered persistent pollutantsthat is, its pollution remains and does not disappear. That is why it is essential to use the “soft” detergentswhich are usually of natural or vegetable origin, biodegradable or what is the same: Its polluting effect disappears in days or even hours.

The main devastating effects for the environment are the eutrophication and non -biodegradation of these chemicals.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is the process that most contaminates the waters of the lakes, rivers, reservoirs and even seas. This is produced by a excess nutrients in water (above all Nitrogen and phosphorus), normally generated by the activity of human beings. In the case of detergents, phosphorus is usually very present.

When this excess nutrient is generated, plants, algae and other organisms They grow in abundance. This is why, during its growth and subsequent rot, consume a lot of dissolved oxygen and generate organic matter (specifically mud) in large quantities, which greatly reduces the amount of water itself, of light, oxygen and other elements that the living beings that inhabit the waters need. In the case of stagnant waters, the effect of eutrophication is even more dangerous, since layers and layers of decomposition algae are created. This causes the lake to become a swamp and then dry until the mass of water disappears.

Here we explain some of the most common changes in eutrophication.

Biological changes

This process generates that some types of algae grow exponentially at the expense that other types of algae disappear. Also, because of so much decomposing plant matter, there is a massive growth of bacteria. Finally, because of the excessive consumption of oxygen of bacteria, aquatic animals make ill and, consequently, die.

Physical changes

Due to the death of so much algae and aquatic animals, they accumulate in the funds and slow the circulation of water. Due to the least fluidity of the water, it begins to become brown, green, red or yellow and be smelly.

Chemical changes

Because of the excessive oxygen consumption of bacteria, oxygen dissolved in water decreases more than half, a fact that directly affects the rest of organisms. In addition to the concentrations of toxic chemicals in the water.

Non -biodegradation and slow degradation

An impact on waste that has not been degraded and that persist in the seas, rivers or lakes. These wastes are hazardous for the vast majority of organisms, especially for marine fauna, since they can be ingested by these animals And also later Food in our foods in the form of food.

The ingredient of detergents that is more urgent to biodegrad Surfactants. This is because they change the solubility of proteins and fats, a fact that causes an alteration in the functioning of the cell membranes of living organisms. In short, they are Toxic for marine life until they biodegrad. All surfactants are biodegradable, but there are some that are of very slow degradation. In fact, some studies show that there are still traces of surfactants that were used in the 80s. In 2004 the European Commission decreed a law that prohibited surfactants who do not biodegraded rapidly, and today it is mandatory that the surfactants they use are of those that biodegraded 60% in less than 28 days.

The use of an ecological detergent counteracts the harmful effects that we have told you, since they have been designed to be respectful of the planet. The first thing you have to check is whether the detergent is really ecological. To do this, the Ecolabel sealthat is, a seal of the European Union created for those products that seek to reduce the negative environmental effects. Washaby has this certification.

These are some of the most relevant reasons to You are encouraged to use ecological detergent:

• First, by Your health and well -being. Ecological detergents do not have chemical substances that can be dangerous in their elaboration, so they generate less risk than common detergents.
• Secondly, echo detergents in capsule occupy a lower space so this facilitates its transport and generates less CO2 emissions. In addition, every brand should have a environmental logistics. Washaby has providers less than 80 km from our logistics center in Barcelona and these have an electric transport fleet.
• Third, The container is not plastic. The plastics of conventional detergents take hundreds of years to decompose, on the other hand, in the case of Washaby our echo detergent has 0 plastics, it is totally biodegradable and we use a cardboard box to send the product. In this other post you can read how long it takes to degrade plastic.
• Finally, Energy saving. Eco detergents are suitable for cold and short -lived washing, so you also save on electrical consumption.

Now that you know better the problem of water pollution due to detergents and the alternatives of ecological detergents, we encourage you to discover more ways on how to avoid water pollution.

If you want to read more articles similar to Water pollution by detergentswe recommend that you enter our pollution category.