Phosphates and the environmental free lunch

Journal Article · · Regulation; (United States)

OSTI ID:5960599

Viscusi, W K

Cost data from North Carolina and Wisconsin demonstrate that the political free lunch legislators gained by banning phosphates in detergents was not without cost. No more than 12 to 15% of total phosphorus in waterways is attributable to detergents, which limits any benefits to water quality to insignificance. The cost to consumers in poorer laundry results and damage to apparel and appliances is high. Phosphate bans lead about 20% of consumers to raise water temperatures and use laundry additives, both of which cost more. A cheaper solution is chemical treatment of wastewater to eliminate 90% of the phosphate levels, which is six times higher than the results of a phosphate ban. 1 table.

• Research Organization: Duke Univ., Durham, NC
• OSTI ID: 5960599
• Journal Information: Regulation; (United States), Journal Name: Regulation; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
PHOSPHATES
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
APPLIANCES
DETERGENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
LAUNDRIES
POLLUTION SOURCES
WASTE WATER
WATER QUALITY
ADDITIVES
EMULSIFIERS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
REGULATIONS
SURFACTANTS
WASTES
WATER
WETTING AGENTS
520600* - Environment
Aquatic- Regulations - (-1989)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety