Why is laundry detergent a problem?
The main issue with detergents is their potential toxicity to marine life, including hormone disruption. Detergents also require additional energy and treatment capacity to break them down. Using the optimal (reduced) amount of cleaning product will reduce the presence of detergents in the wastewater collection system and receiving environment, and therefore in the marine environment. When treatment is in place, additional energy and treatment capacity are required to break down excess surfactant entering the system. Some surfactants are incompletely broken down with conventional treatment processes and some breakdown products can have harmful effects on organisms – even after treatment.
