Laundry detergent is used in every household up to several times a week. Detergent packaging promises to make clothes cleaner, brighter and fresher but may not list everything it contains. This is because detergent companies are not required by law to reveal all ingredients.
However, many chemicals in household washing powders and liquids can cause allergies, asthma, skin and eye irritation and increase the risk for certain cancers. Additionally, these chemical compounds are not environmentally friendly and damage the ecosystem and atmosphere.
Surfactants Used in Some Laundry Detergents Are Not Biodegradable
The ingredient nonyl phenol (NPE) is a general group of synthetic surfactants in laundry detergent. This chemical biodegrades slowly and leaves trace amounts in the soil and water. Researchers have found that NPE in water can cause feminization of male fish. It is also thought to increase the risk of breast cancer as it mimics female hormone activity in mammals.
Synthetic surfactants called alkyl benzene sulfonates (ABS) or linear alkyl benzene sulfonates (LAS) are the most common in laundry detergent. These chemicals are slow to biodegrade and they can cause skin irritations and allergic reactions in susceptible individuals.
Another family of synthetic surfactants used in laundry detergent is called diethanolamines. These compounds are also slow to biodegrade in the environment and react with natural nitrogen oxides and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form nitrosamines which are known carcinogens.
Petroleum Derived Fragrances and Ingredients Should be Avoided
Household laundry detergents may contain artificial fragrances that are produced from petroleum. Extraction of petroleum causes ecological and environmental damage and this resource is not sustainable or renewable. Additionally, artificial fragrances often trigger serious allergic and asthmatic reactions.
Other petroleum derived synthetic compounds are used in detergents; avoid any ingredient listed with the words "petroleum distillate" or "naphtha." These chemicals are toxic to people, animals and the environment.
A group of ingredients added to brighten clothes are called optical brighteners. These compounds are also not biodegradable and are toxic to fish and animals and may even cause mutations in bacteria. Allergic skin reactions such as eczema can also be caused when these compounds are exposed to the skin.
Foaming and Water Softening Agents in Laundry Detergents Damage Ecosystems
Ethylene diamino tetra acetate or EDTA is a synthetic compound in household laundry detergent to reduce calcium and other mineral hardness in water and promote foaming. However, foaming has nothing to do with how well the detergent cleans and this compound remains in the environment and can dissolve heavy metals in waterways, allowing them to circulate into the food chain.
Phosphates are added to some laundry detergents to soften hard water and help to clean clothes. However, phosphate is a natural nutrient for ecosystems and when drainage water runs into waterways, it can cause excess growth of marine plants. This results in a loss of equilibrium in the ecosystem, killing other plant and animal species.
Manufacturers of household detergents and cleaners do not have to disclose all the ingredients and often use unrecognizable trade names for ingredients that are made public. To avoid many of the toxic ingredients use laundry detergents that are biodegradable and made with only plant based surfactants. Or wash clothes in environmentally friendly homemade laundry detergent.
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Reference:
Cornell University: Breast Cancer - The Estrogen Connection (Accessed March 20, 2010)
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Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
