May 19

Two Great Lakes senators have introduced a bill that would limit phosphates in dishwashing detergent to help reduce water pollution that leads to so-called dead zones.

Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio, introduced a bill May 15 that would require the EPA begin banning the sale nationally of residential dish washing detergent in 2010 that contains more than 0.5 percent phosphorous.

"By limiting phosphates that enter Lake Erie, we will reduce harmful algal blooms and the dead zone that emerges every summer in the lake, helping to protect the Great Lakes and its ecosystems for generations to come," Voinovich said.

Dead zones also have occurred in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast.

A Minnesota study published in 2005 estimated that dishwashing detergent accounts for nearly 19 percent of the total amount of phosphorus entering municipal wastewater systems each year.

Phosphorus is a nutrient that promotes plant and animal life, but excessive amount of phosphorus in bodies of water spawns excessive algae growth. As the algae blooms die, bacteria consumes the dead vegetation and deprives the water of oxygen, resulting in fish kills.

Thirteen states plus the District of Columbia have either passed or are in the process of trying to pass legislation that would ban phosphates in automatic dish detergent in 2010. A few states, including Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington, have already banned phosphates in residential dish detergents.

Contact Waste News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at (330) 865-6172 or bgeiselman@crain.com

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