Your washing powder could be the death of Forfar Loch
Forfar Loch, set within Forfar Loch Country Park, is an area currently rich in wildlife, including otters, water voles and kingfishers. It’s a focal point for local residents and an attraction for visitors, who enjoy sailing, fishing, walking and wildlife-watching around the Loch. But in summer, just when people should be enjoying the loch most, a green slime appears on the surface of the water.
The green slime is an algal bloom, which is caused by too much phosphate in the water. Excess phosphates come from a variety of sources, including agricultural fertilisers and household detergents. WaterSense has chosen to focus on Forfar because we know the phosphates in the loch come directly from household use. The Loch is right at the top of the water catchment area – few streams flow into it and there is little agricultural input.
Let’s change the way we clean things
Everything that lives in, on or around Forfar Loch suffers because of the algal bloom: the plants, birds, mammals, fish and insects, and humans. But local residents can do something about it. The phosphates in Forfar Loch come directly from household detergents such as washing powders and liquids and dishwasher tablets. Simply by choosing detergents that don’t contain phosphates, people can help make Forfar Loch a healthier, safer place for all to enjoy.
Q. What are phosphates?
A. Phosphate is a naturally occurring mineral and is
found in all living things. It is an important plant nutrient and also
used to build bones
in animals. Though essential for plant growth, too much phosphate disturbs
the complex balance of an aquatic environment, causing
plants such as algae to grow too rapidly, suffocating the loch – a
process known as eutrophication.
Q. How do phosphates damage Forfar Loch?
A. Although phosphate occurs naturally
and is an essential nutrient for plants, too much of it makes plants
grow far too fast. Algae thrive on it, and spread across the surface
in floating rafts that prevent sunlight from reaching the plants at the
bottom of the loch. These plants need light to survive and without it
they die and decompose. Micro-organisms that feed on dying plants also
thrive and consume too much of the oxygen in the loch, so fish and insects
suffocate and die. In turn, the birds and other animals that feed on
those fish and insects go hungry and leave the loch.
Q. What products contain phosphates?
A. Washing powders, liquids, tablets and sachets, and dishwasher tablets,
powder and gel, may all contain phosphates. They are not used in washing
up liquids.
Q. Why are phosphates used in cleaning products?
A. Phosphates in detergents are known as ‘builders’ because
they build the right conditions for cleaning to take place. They do this
by softening the water (which is unnecessary in most of Scotland because
we have naturally soft water here) and by holding the dirt in the wash
water to prevent it from settling back onto the clothes.
For further information please contact WWF Scotland: phone 01350 728200, email info@watersense.org.uk, or write to WaterSense, c/o WWF Scotland, Little Dunkeld, Dunkeld, PH8 0AD
