Danger From Detergent Capsules !!!

Detergent capsule polymers may be polluting the environment.

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 by wastewater treatment.

Plastic detergent pods that can be thrown into the washing machine or dishwasher are encapsulated in water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol. When the machine is turned on, the outer casing of the chamber dissolves, releasing the soap inside and the PVA goes into the sewer. Charles Rolsky and Varun Kelkar, graduate students at Arizona State University, conducted research on the subject.

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 broken down by wastewater treatment. At a session in the Department of Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, Rolsky said his research showed that around 7,000 metric tons of PVA avoids degradation through wastewater treatment each year in the United States.

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

Rolsky said there are several reasons to worry 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 this for further investigation," Rolsky said at the meeting. He said modeling studies need to be validated by examining PVA degradation in wastewater treatment plants and in laboratory conditions designed to mimic the facilities.

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

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