Phosphates from detergents and eutrophication of surface water ecosystem in India

Eutrophication, regarded as the most immediate environmental consequence of extensive phosphorus usage in contemporary societies, has received wide attention. If the current level of human-induced global environmental impacts continues, there is a chance of occurrence of nearly 2.4–2.7-fold increase in nitrogen and phosphorus driven eutrophication of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems in the near future. The main sources of phosphate in aquatic environment, is through household sewage water containing detergents and cleaning preparations, agricultural run-off containing fertilizers, as well as, industrial effluents from fertilizer, detergent and soap industries. The consumption of synthetic detergents is increasing year-by-year due to increasing urbanization and most of them contain phosphate as a ‘builder’, which increases phosphate loading rates in water bodies. The estimated annual consumption of phosphate-containing laundry detergents for the current population in India is about 2.88 million tonnes and the total outflow of P is estimated to be 146 thousand tonnes per year. Therefore, a major point of concern for checking eutrophication of water bodies, particularly in sensitive areas, is how to reduce P inputs to surface waters.