Ask TreeHugger: What's the Dirt on Phosphate-Free Soaps?
by Helen Suh MacIntosh, Cambridge, MA, USA 
on 03.27.07
Question: Why is it so important to use phosphate free soaps? Is there a difference in how they work? They don't seem much more expensive, but is there a catch? Also, why aren't all soaps phosphate free? We know it is possible since there are many on the market, and we are told that they are better for nature. So why still make the more harmful soaps?
Response: Phosphorus, generally in the form of phosphates, has historically been one of the main ingredients in detergents (which are soaps made from synthetic materials). In the detergents, phosphates served as a “builder” to improve the detergent’s cleaning efficiency. Builders, such as STPP, are important to the cleaning process, as they help to remove dirt from the clothes and to minimize soap scum (often seen as a ring on the tub, washing machine, or shirt collars). The need for builders in detergents and soaps is especially important in areas with “hard” water that contain calcium and magnesium ions, since the builders prevent these ions from interfering with the cleaning process.
Of the detergent builders, phosphates were the most popular, because of their superior cleaning performance. Their strong cleaning performance, however, has increasingly been overshadowed by their harmful effects on rivers, lakes, streams, and other fresh waters. Levels of phosphates in these fresh water bodies can be much higher than normal as the result of contamination from municipal and domestic wastewater that contains phosphates -- some or much of which (depending on your perspective) comes from phosphate-containing detergents that go down the drain after use.
Although phosphates are an important plant nutrient, higher than normal phosphate levels can destroy the health of the lake, stream or other fresh water body, as they allow algae in the water to grow faster than would naturally occur, turning clear lakes and rivers green and cloudy. This extra algal growth is not only unappealing to look at, but can also make the water smell bad and make it unsuitable for swimming. It can also make drinking water more expensive to filter and can spoil the taste or smell of the drinking water. In the long run, the excess algal growth can have devastating impacts on the health and age of a fresh water lake or river, causing eutrophication to speed up, where lakes and other water bodies fill in with dead algae and other organic matter and eventually turn into dry land.
Given these harmful effects, laws or regulations were enacted in many U.S. states, the European Union, Canada, and in Japan to limit or ban the use of phosphates in laundry detergents. These limits and bans likely had the added benefit of convincing laundry detergent makers to replace phosphates from their products with non-phosphate alternatives, such as zeolite A, sodium carbonate, citrates, and sodium silicate. Although not in use in the United States, Canada, Japan, and many Western European countries, phosphate-containing laundry detergents are still used in many other countries.
Recently, some governments have also begun to look at regulating phosphates in automatic dishwashing detergents, which can contain anywhere from 4-8% phosphorus. Beginning in the middle of next year, for example, the State of Washington will gradually put in place a phosphate ban for dishwashing detergents in an effort to protect the Spokane River. Whether more state and federal governments will follow Washington’s example is not clear, although groups are working to see that it happens.
In the meantime, you could on your own choose to use automatic dishwasher detergents that do not contain phosphates. The March 2005 issue of Consumer Reports rated phosphate-free dishwashing detergents, with several brands rated highly including Seventh Generation, Ecover Natural and Trader Joe's brand. In addition to using these non-phosphate detergents, you could also follow other advice and tips to help the environment while cleaning your dishes, as shown in this previous TreeHugger article.
Previous Ask Treehugger columns can be found here.
Helen Suh MacIntosh is a professor in environmental health at Harvard University and studies how pollution behaves in the environment and how it affects people's health. Please keep in mind that her answers are just her interpretation of available information and should not be taken as the only viewpoint or solution to a problem. Use this column at your own risk. Having said this, please feel free to post any of your environmental health questions to Helen@TreeHugger.com (please use a descriptive email subject line and mention if you want to remain anonymous or not).
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Good Post. Trader Joe's has some great phosphate free products.
make your own dishwasher detergent! it works great.
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup citric acid
1/4 cup salt
add essential oils if you want - I like peppermint or anything citrus.
Maybe it's because I'm multitasking as I read, but am I to understand that the main product that still contains phosphates is automatic dish detergent? Just wondering since I don't live with a dishwasher and wondering if this is applicable to me.
I love Trader Joe's soaps...biodegradable as well. And available with a wonderful lavender scent...almost makes me *like* doing the dishes.
We use mostly phosphate-free detergents, but even when I say nothing, and use safer dish-detergent, my wife notices right away and is ready to throw out the plates and glasses because of the dirt, build-up, and (especially) haze left on our glasses.
So please can someone suggest a phosphate free dishwasher detergent that's equal to the stuff with phosphates?
People, there's one very important issue not being discussed here.
Phosphorous are the rate limiting nutrient in fresh water systems. Thus, as noted in the post, when phosphates are added to lakes and streams, they can cause/contribute to algal blooms.
Phosphorous is NOT the rate limiting nutrient in salt water eco systems. Thus, you can add all the phosphates you want to the ocean, and you're not going to get algal blooms. In salt water, nitrogen is the rate limiting nutrient, and thus the cause of algal blooms in waste streams introduced into the ocean.
The summary is: if your waste water is treated and then dumped in the ocean, ala San Franciso for instance, using a phosphate-free detergent achieves nothing. Well, nothing other than increasing the sales volume of phosphate-free detergents.
I am brand new to this green thing...just beginning to care. The information out there is so overwhelming, and often conflicting. Can anyone direct me to concise, factual green information?
Born Agreen,
Rebecca
hey yall whats crakin i hate u all and ur stinky soap
thx!!! I just started a science fair project on phosphorus soaps, and non-phosphorus soaps, to see witch cleans better, and this article realy helped!!!
this was really helpful...I LOVE TWIILIGHT!!!!!!!
I do my best to support small eco friendly companies, but I just recently found that Palmolive makes a phosphate free dishwasher detergent. I have tried many other eco friendly detergents, and this actually works. It's called Palmolive eco+
I Do agree with Helen although phosphates are an important plant nutrient but higher than normal phosphate levels can destroy the health of the lake, stream or other fresh water body.
I have a pool which the pool retail site, says I have higher than normal phosphate level. they want to sell me a very expensive product, called PhosFree. Is there any natural product I can use to eliminate Phosphate???
The eco friendly soap for the dishwasher doesn't clean, nope not at all.
For the consumer, phosphates wash better, wash cheaper, use less detergent
It is quite possible to formulate P-free detergents which wash just as well as P-based ones. However, because phosphates offer a number of different functions in detergents (neutralising hard water, preventing redeposition, buffering, physical properties ), P-free detergents “on average” tend to offer a
less effective wash or imply the consumption of greater quantities of other ingredients, in particular surfactants (generally estimated at +5 to +15%).
This is confirmed by the performance tests of a range of European detergents carried out be independent laboratories for CEEP.
It is also confirmed by the definition of criteria for laundry detergent “green labels”. Both the Scandinavian “White Swan” ecolabel, the Thailand green label scheme, and the recently updated European Union Ecolabel for laundry detergents (Commission Decision 1999/476/EC) authorise the inclusion of phosphates in eligible detergents (both up to approx. 27% phosphates).
Phosphates are the optimal builder component not only for traditional laundry detergent powders, but also for “compacts”, and particularly for the new “tablet” formulations. Phosphates offer rapid solubility and dispersion properties which mean they make an effective basis for tablets, whereas P-free tablets are difficult
I now have 4 cases of the old phosphate soap in the basement because I'm not going to be forced to use something that doesn't work. They are on the shelves right next to the 200 incandescent light bulbs I have stock up on.
My Seventh Generation powder detergent, which is phosphate free, works just as well as my former Cascade Action Packs did. I also know that my daughter isn't subjected to inhaling toxic steam which is possibly linked to lung cancer. Check out my article on phosphates in detergent http://spilledingredients.com/2009/05/phosphates-in-your-dishwasher-detergent/.
Using detergent with phosphates in it is just contributing to poor health and damage to our water systems. Please don't.