Toxicity of Zeolite Containing Detergents

Introduction – Eutrophication is a serious problem This article compares the toxic effects of detergents of different types on aquatic organisms and is intended to outline the research comparing the toxicity of phosphate detergents with the toxicity of zeolite ones. Particular attention is given to the comparison of zeolitic and phosphate detergents. Phosphates are an important component in synthetic detergents. But, they cause problems in surface waters. When excess phosphate is released into surface waters, the result is overfertilization (=eutrophication), leading to an increased algal growth. The increased algal growth in stagnant surface water leads to oxygen depletion in lower water layers, which in turn causes general reduction of overall water quality. The result may be loss of potential drinking water sources and, in some cases, damage to fishing interests. With eutrophication some hygienic problems arise as well (allergies, cyanotoxins etc.). For this reason, the use of sodium triphosphate in detergents has come under increasingly critical scrutiny. Some phosphate studies have led to the conclusion, however, that apart from some local variation, ca. 60% of the phosphate encountered in municipal sewage originates from detergents or cleaners. [1, 2, 3,4]