אנחנו מתמחים בזה שאנחנו לוקחים את התמצית של חומר הניקוי ונותנים לכם כטבלייה עם כמה שפחות תוספות על מנת לחסוך לכם במשקל האריזה, במקומות האחסון ובכסף, תוך כדי שמירה על נוחות השימוש, איכות הסביבה ואיכות התוצאות, ואת המים תמיד אפשר להוסיף בבית.
The physical chemists never use their eyes and are most lamentably lacking in chemical culture. It is essential to cast out from our midst, root and branch, this physical element and return to our laboratories.
- HENRY EDWARD ARMSTRONG
The country which is in advance of the rest of the world in chemistry will also be foremost in wealth and in general prosperity
- WILLIAM RAMSAY
Time is the best appraiser of scientific work, and I am aware that an industrial discovery rarely produces all its fruit in the hands of its first inventor.
- LOUIS PASTEUR
Detergents
are cleaning products manufactured from synthetic chemical compounds, as
opposed to soap, which originates with natural substances like lye and plant
saponins. Detergents figure in an extensive array of industrial and home
cleaning applications, including laundry and dishwasher detergents. Released
into the flow of wastewater coming from the home, these detergents can have
far-reaching environmental impacts.
Phosphate-containing detergents can create algae blooms in fresh
water. These in turn use up the oxygen available for aquatic life, according to
Lenntech, a water treatment facilities corporation affiliated with the
Technical University at Delft, the Netherlands. This problem occurs because
phosphorous and nitrogen from detergents are nutrients that stimulate excessive
growth of algae and other aquatic vegetation, reports the Indiana University
News Room. Nutrient loading with phosphates from laundry and dishwasher
detergents, as well as from suburban lawn chemicals, can lead to
eutrophication, a process by which a freshwater aquatic ecosystem slowly dies due
to continual oxygen depletion. Phosphate-containing laundry detergents are
banned in most states, and about a half-dozen states have banned
phosphate-containing dishwasher detergents as of mid-2010.
Surfactants,
or surface-active agents, are chemicals that reduce the surface tension of oil
and water; in detergents, surfactants help dirt to drop out and stay out of
clothing or other items being cleaned. Surfactants in detergents are toxic to
aquatic life, persist in the environment and break down into additional toxic
byproducts, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a
freshwater environment, surfactant-containing detergents break down the
protective mucus layer that coats fish, protecting them from parasites and
bacteria, according to Lenntech. The reduced surface tension of water also
makes it easier for aquatic life to absorb pesticides, phenols and other
pollutants in the water. The EPA also advises that surfactants can disrupt the
endocrine systems of humans and animals; Lenntech notes that surfactants
decrease the breeding rates of aquatic organisms.
Laundry
and dishwasher detergents come in plastic containers that are generally
non-reusable and non-recyclable, according to the EPA. The volume of detergent
packaging heading to landfills, given the weekly purchase of detergent-based
household products by a significant portion of consumers, creates an enormous
environmental impact. The European branch of the International Association for
Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products announced in 2009 an industry-wide
initiative to reduce detergent packaging by manufacturing smaller packages of
more concentrated detergent products. American consumers have also noticed
smaller laundry and dishwashing detergent packages on their supermarket
shelves. The industry association notes that, to be successful, this
packaging-reduction strategy will require consumers to carefully read the
labels and cut down on the quantity of detergent used; significantly less is
required for the same cleaning ability because of the new concentrated
formulas.
There is an endless variety of cleaning
products. To assess their actual impact on the environment, a full analysis of
their life cycle would have to be carried out: production, packaging,
transportation, use, disposal and recycling.
It is not easy to establish the overall environmental impact of
a given product. We know more about the polluting effect of detergent after
their use when, discharged into sewers, they end up in the environment through
the streams and infiltration.
A significant effect on water quality
Since they are used on a large scale, detergents are partly
responsible:
• for eutrophication of rivers:
The phosphorus and nitrogen compounds in detergents get concentrated in rivers.
These two nutrients enable increased growth of aquatic plants (algae) that
invade the entire aquatic area. When plants die, their decomposition consumes
oxygen from the aquatic environment. Added to this is the consumption of oxygen
due to the decomposition of the surfactants present in the detergents. Fish and
invertebrates do not find adequate oxygen and die by asphyxiation. All this
contribution of organic matter continues to decompose nevertheless but this
time without oxygen. This is anaerobic fermentation that releases hydrogen
sulphide and that smell of "rotten eggs";
• for the contamination of groundwater by contributing
nutrients (surfactants) and mineral salts such as phosphates, nitrates,
ammonium, boron, etc.;
• for the decline of coastal plants subjected to polluted
spray;
• for the cloudy water phenomenon. Very surprising in the
late 50s when large foam ponds due to excessive foam appeared on rivers. It was
the alarm bell!
• for the disturbance of aquatic organisms:
o When not treated fully in water treatment plants, the
surfactants in detergents affect
the natural defences of these organisms (their skin,
scales, shell, walls of the plants or the bacteria) against chemical substances
and pathogens.
o Finally, some surfactants such as ethylene glycol disrupt the hormonal system of
aquatic animals.
Reduction of impact is in process
Fortunately, the law has developed considerably since the 70s.
EU rules have been progressively strengthened.
Current legislation calls for:
• an obligation to treat waste water;
• a ban on foaming surfactants;
• facilities for placing biodegradable products on the market;
• enhanced biodegradability requirements.
Currently, the biodegradability criteria of surfactants are derived from
the European EC 648/2004 regulation(link is external). All surfactants must
degrade more than 60% in 28 days under aerobic conditions.
However, a large room for improvement is still possible.
The FAQ will tell you more about it.
Biodegradable surfactants, really?
This new standard of rapid degradation of the surfactants is a
real improvement over previous requirements. However, it can be further
improved.
On the one hand, biodegradability is measured at 28 days and in the presence of
air. During this time, molecules of the surfactants have ample time to escape
from sewage treatment plants and spread in the environment. Some surfactants
are strongly attracted to limestone and tend to settle in the sediment at the
bottom of rivers. Thus imprisoned, they degrade with greater difficulty.
On the other hand, the level of optimal biodegradability of 60%
in 28 days is not ideal. Even though 60% of the degraded product is in the form
of carbon dioxide and water, in what form is the remaining 40%?
Finally, tests are conducted on each individual component.
However what is required is the biodegradability of the complete product. In
addition, tests are conducted under very different conditions from those that
exist in the environment (temperature, salinity, biological activity).
Laboratory results show little of what is actually happening in the environment
and this is the real difficulty of carrying out these tests.
Therefore, there is still room for improvement. New generation
products are now made with 100% biodegradable surfactants (in 28 days).
Industries are developing less toxic products. Most successful formulae from
the viewpoint of their efficiency and the environment can get the European
Ecolabel(link is external).
And phosphates?
Phosphates are non-toxic by themselves. In fact, phosphorus is
an element necessary for living organisms and even a limiting factor that
determines the amount of life that can develop in a given habitat. Excess
phosphate causes proliferation of plant organisms and aquatic plants. It is the
cause of eutrophication. Highly eutrophic waters, i.e. rich in organic matter,
are very poor in oxygen, and not very favourable to biodiversity. In addition,
they promote the proliferation of pathogens.
In Belgium, phosphates are prohibited in household detergents
since 2003. This standard has been applicable throughout Europe since 1st July
2013. In 2017, this ban will also cover products for dishwashers.
It is important to note that phosphates perform several
essential functions in detergents that contain them. They must be replaced to
ensure effectiveness of the detergents. These alternative substances must also
be evaluated to ascertain whether the elimination of phosphates is really
benefiting the environment and poses no health problems.