The Danger from Detergent Capsules: Human Safety and Precautions

Detergent capsule polymers may be polluting the environment.

What are the Dangers of Detergent Capsules? Details...

Detergent capsule polymers may be polluting the environment. Polyvinyl alcohol detergent capsule coatings dissolve in the washing machine, but the polymer itself may not degrade with wastewater treatment.

Plastic detergent pods that can be disposed of in the washing machine or dishwasher are encapsulated in water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol. When the machine is opened, the outer casing of the pod dissolves, releasing the soap inside, and the PVA goes down the drain. Charles Rolsky and Varun Kelkar, graduate students at Arizona State University, conducted the research.

Preliminary results presented by Rolsky on Tuesday at ACS Spring 2021, a meeting of the American Chemical Society, show that the material is not completely degraded by wastewater treatment. In a session in the Department of Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, Rolsky said his research shows that about 7,000 metric tons of PVA avoid degradation through wastewater treatment each year in the US.

To arrive at this number, Rolsky and Kelkar combined data on detergent pod consumption, state-by-state water use and wastewater treatment plant infrastructure, and consumer information on what is known about the conditions necessary for PVA degradation. They estimate that about 4% of PVA from detergent pods is discharged undigested in treated water, while about 65% ends up in sludge that settles and is buried in landfills, applied to farmland or incinerated.

Rolsky said there are several reasons to be concerned if PVA enters US waterways. The material can absorb pesticides and heavy metals and act as a foaming agent that damages aquatic ecosystems. “We hope this will call for further scrutiny of this,” Rolsky said at the meeting. He said the modeling studies need to be validated by studying PVA degradation in wastewater treatment plants and laboratory conditions designed to mimic the plants.

Source; https://cen.acs.org/acs-news/acs-meeting-news/Detergent-pod-polymers-polluting-environment/99/i14

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