  |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Dec. 16, 1998
98-211
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 456-4464; pager, (509) 622-1289
SPOKANE - State investigators have identified three more brands of laundry detergent that contain polluting amounts of phosphorous. The detergents are called Lirio, Viva and Roma.
Detergents containing more than 0.5 percent phosphorous have been illegal to sell in Washington state since 1994.
In early November, the Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced that two detergents, manufactured for sale in Mexico, had made it to store shelves in Washington state. Laboratory analyses indicated the detergent Ariel contained 6.06 percent phosphorous, while Foca contained 3.6 percent phosphorous.
The other three detergents-- Lirio, Viva and Roma-- have also been analyzed for phosphorous content at the Manchester Laboratory near Seattle. All were well above the legal phosphorous limit. The lowest of the five detergents, Foca, still contains seven times the allowable limit of phosphorous, while the highest, Roma, has nearly 16 times the limit.
"We were not surprised to learn that other detergents that are manufactured for sale outside the United States are also too high in phosphorous," said Megan White, manager of Ecology's water-quality program. "But we have been surprised to learn how many brands are being sold and how widespread their sale is in Washington state."
White added that Ecology expects to find additional brands and will test them as well.
All five detergents have been found on shelves in both large and small grocery stores, pharmacies and laundromats in all parts of the state.
Ecology is again urging retail stores to take these items off their shelves. Citizens should take these products back to the stores where they purchased them.
"We're happy to be seeing great cooperation from many stores that were unaware of the phosphorous law," White said.
The brands Ecology has identified with high phosphorous have some type of phosphate listed as the second or third ingredient on the label. The general rule of thumb for the consumer is to look for detergents that say "no phosphates," or less than 0.5 percent phosphorous on the package.
In 1993, the Washington State Legislature passed a law limiting the amount of phosphorous in laundry and dishwashing detergents for residential sale. The law, which went into effect in July 1994, limited the phosphorous in laundry detergents to a maximum of 0.5 percent by weight.
Dishwashing detergents must not exceed 8.7 percent phosphorous by weight. The law did not apply to commercial or industrial uses.
Phosphorous is a nutrient that acts as a fertilizer. When it enters lakes and streams it promotes excessive growth of algae and other, larger plants.
Algae blooms cloud the water and cause odors. In extreme cases, algae blooms may kill fish, clog water intakes and create toxic conditions. Thick mats of algae interfere with recreational uses of the water.
The state attorney general and county prosecutors are authorized to bring legal action against those who continue to sell high-phosphorous detergents.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
