What does my dishwasher have to do with the environment?

We love our dishwashers! They get the dishes clean while we do something more fun. But automatic dishwashers – especially the detergents they use – can impact water quality because of the amount of phosphorus they contain.

Phosphorus is the ingredient that makes dishwasher detergents effective at cleaning because it reduces water hardness and prevents dirt from being deposited back onto your dishes. It helps to reduce spots on dishes and may protect some dishwasher parts from rusting. While phosphorus works well for cleaning your dishes, once it is released into the environment through household wastewater, the results are not so desirable.

In Indiana, phosphorus was banned from laundry detergents since 1973 to reduce the amount going to public sewage treatment plants. The Indiana General Assembly has only recently enacted a similar restriction on phosphorus in detergents for use in household dishwashers. House Bill 1120 has been signed by the Governor and will go into effect on July 1, 2010.

What is phosphorus?

Phosphorus is a natural mineral that comes from rocks and occurs naturally in small amounts in the water of this region. It is an essential element, a nutrient for plants and animals. Phosphorus can be dissolved in the water, or it can be attached to sediment. In the form of phosphorus, it is in fertilizer, pesticides, and detergents. It can be present in sewage and animal waste. It takes millions of years for free phosphorus to return into the form of rocks. Therefore, phosphorus is not “used up.”

So why is banning phosphorus a good idea?

Excess phosphorus becomes fertilizer for the algae in our lakes and streams and contributes to eutrophication of lakes and streams. When this occurs, the water may not contain enough dissolved oxygen to support aquatic species. It can become a deadly cycle for waterways: nutrients feed algae. Algae bloom and die, releasing their nutrients. Bacteria use oxygen from the water to break down dead algae and other waste. This reduces available oxygen in the water. Reduced oxygen can kill animals and fish by reducing the amount of healthy habitat available to them. Areas of reduced oxygen allow the release of more nutrients from the stream bottom and suspended sediments. These nutrients are again available to feed more algae and the cycle begins again.

And what happens to the stream?

Over time, algae and other microscopic plant life can become super abundant and “choke” a lake or streams. The water in these highly enriched lakes and streams have low transparency and low dissolved oxygen. Fish and aquatic animals die. Eventually the water dries up.

What can I do?

· Act now. Everyone washes dishes. Check your dishwashing detergent label to see how much phosphorus it contains and take steps now to choose a brand with low phosphorus.

· Spread the word that detergents for use in home dishwashers can’t contain phosphorus after July of 2010.

· Use a low or no-phosphorus fertilizer on your lawn. Check the labels of your products, or insist that your lawn care service use environmentally friendly products with low or no phosphorus. Better yet, have your soil tested to see exactly how much phosphorus your lawn might need before you apply any fertilizer.

· Be responsible for livestock manure and pet waste. Don’t allow it to enter the waterways without treatment!

· Properly maintain your septic system. Filling system leach nutrients into the surface and groundwater, which eventually reaches wells, lakes and streams.

Our region has lost nearly 85% of its natural wetlands. Wetlands can tie up phosphorus and take it out of circulation. Build or protect a wetland! Cost-share funding is available in many areas. Contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District or the US Fish & Wildlife Service for help.