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Phosphates 2010 Presentation

At the Phosphates 2010 Conference, Brussels, 23rd March, Global Phosphate Forum chairman Joachim Koppers presented the Forum's activities and perspectives for phosphates in detergents. Key points are the potential of phosphates as sustainable, recyclable detergent components, and their performance advantages for efficient washing.

See presentation

 
Phosphates 2010 Conference

23-24 March 2010, Sheraton Brussels, Belgium

 

4th International conference and exhibition that dedicated specifically to phosphates, with the participation of IFA - International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Global Phosphate Forum.

This is the only conference in the industry to cover all 3 major phosphates markets - fertilizers, industrial and feed. The programme will bring together representatives from the whole spectrum of the phosphate industry, including fertilizers, animal feeds and industrial uses, as well as mining, shipping and trading, and agronomic research and development

www.phosphates2010.com
 
EU points to environmental risk of P-free detergents

The European Union’s official scientific committee SCHER has published (13th January 2010) an updated Opinion on the environmental risks of polycarboxylates (PCAs), widely used as substitutes for phosphates in detergents

This Opinion confirms and updates doubts already raised by the EU Scientific Committees in 2003, 2007 and 2008.

SCHER highlights that there are still data gaps regarding the safety of PCAs to the environment, and questions concerning interpretation of available information. The committe considers that there is no data on P-AA (P-AA (Poly-acrylic acid homo-polymers) and insufficiently assessed data and/or invalid studies for P-AA/MA (Poly acrylic / maleic acid copolymers). SCHER thus concludes a PEC/PNEC ratio >1 in both soil and water, that is an environmental riskfor the use of PCAs in detergents.

In Europe, the STPP industry estimates that P-free laundry formulations have considerably higher levels of phosphonates and PCAs than P-based formulations, whereas low-P formulations have intermediate levels:

Laundry detergents:

Estimate % in formulation

Standard P-based

Low-P formulation

P-free

PCAs

0

0.5 – 2%

3 – 6 %

Phosphonates

0.2 – 0.3 %

0.4 – 0.7 %

0.5 – 0.8 %

This SCHER Opinion so confirms that the move to P-free or low-P laundry detergents implies the increased use of other chemicals with possible environmental risks.

SCHER Opinion on polycarboxylates, 13 January 2010: http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/environmental_risks/docs/scher_o_117.pdf

 
Revised European phosphate risk assessment validated
A completely revised INIA study assessing the eutrophication risk associated with detergent phosphates in Europe has been validated by the EU scientific committee SCHER, concluding that:

"Eutrophication is a localised problem and is best addressed by locally adapted approaches"

"... at pan-European scale the contribution of the P-based detergents is not playing a major role in the eutrophication process."

SCHER fully validates both the methodology of the INIA study and its overall conclusions, which cover both domestic laundry and domestic dishwasher detergent phosphates, using 2007 phosphate consumption data provided by the detergent industry (AISE)

The revised INIA report uses the official water quality data from the EU member states, collated by the EU Commission Joint Research Centre. This addresses one of the main criticisms made by SCHER of the first INIA report, that the data used was not representative. The number of data points is increased from around 300 to 2600. The new report is thus based on the best data available.

INIA report published on EU Commission official website: "Development of an European quantitative eutrophication risk assessment of polyphosphates in detergents. Model validation using the WFD intercalibration data, model re-calibration and pan-European assessment of the eutrophication risk association to the use of phosphates in detergents", INIA/Green Planet, April 2009.

Official Layman's Summary LINK.  Full report:  LINK.  SCHER Opinion (9/11/2009): http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scher/docs/scher_o_116.pdf

 
Consumer organisations question P-free detergents performance

Independent tests by consumer organisations question the washing performance of P-free dishwasher detergents.

Consumer organisations and media in the USA and Belgium suggest that detergents without phosphates "tend to perform worst overall" and do not adequately clean dishes, remove grease, or leave films. They also question the environmental issues, indicating that phosphates have to be replaced by other chemicals which are "even more polluting, directly toxic and/or poorly biodegradable" and with probably irreversible effects.

Consumer Reports USA August 2009: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/august-2009/home-garden/dishwasher-detergent/overview/dish-detergent-ov.htm

Consumer Reports USA October 2009: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/october-2009/home-garden/detergents/overview/detergents-ov.htm

Media coverage Spokane USA: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009034806_soapsmuggling14.html

Test-Achats Belgium, n°538, January 2010 www.test-achats.be

 
International Conference on Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater Streams
May 10th - 13th  2009 - Vancouver
British Columbia, Canada.
Speakers include:  Dr. James Barnard (2007 Clarke Prize), Robert F Kennedy (Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and President of Waterkeeper Alliance )

May 14th - Technical visits - Including full-scale struvite recovery installations operating in municipal sewage works in Canada, USA, and to stream and reservoir fertilisation project.
Programme, Registration, Technical Visits: www.nutrientrecovery2009.com
 
12-2008 European Opinion on P-substitutes

The European Union’s official scientific committee SCHER has published a new Opinion on organic substances used as substitutes for STPP in laundry detergents.

SCHER considers that potential risks from the use of Polycarboxylates (PCAs) and phosphonates in P-free detergents cannot be excluded.

SCHER concludes that further information is needed on the impacts of polycarboxylates on the environment, in particular on toxicity to fish and to soil microbial functions. SCHER also suggests that exposure levels need to be confirmed.

SCHER confirms that polycarboxylates should be considered NOT READILY BIODEGRADABLE. For phosphonates, SCHER indicates that “the available information is not sufficient to exclude a potential risk at European level, in particular for terrestrial and aquatic organisms”.

SCHER Opinion “Anaerobic Degradation of Surfactants and Biodegradation of Non Surfactant Organic Ingredients” Opinion 17th November 2008: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scher/docs/scher_o_109.pdf 
 
12-2008 The UK looks at P-recovery

The UK’s official advisory committee on chemicals, ACHS, has recommended that “the feasibility of reusing phosphates recovered from sewage treatment plants should be investigated” concluding that:

“Recovery and use of phosphorus as struvite also offers a number of major sustainable advantages, including natural resource protection of phosphate rocks and environmental enhancements through nutrient recovery / recycling and reduction in greenhouse gases.” ...

“Direct application of treated sewage sludge to agricultural / arable land represents a cost-effective way to recycle multi-nutrients to crops.”

ACHS concludes by recommending that a life-cycle and cost assessment of P-removal and P-recovery be carried out, to assist decision making on investments in sewage works where nutrient removal needs to be installed in coming years (in application of EU sewage treatment and Water Framework Directives).

30th January 2009: ACHS review of the feasibility of recycling phosphates at sewage treatment plants http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/achs/pdf/phosphates-review.pdf

 
6/2007 Phosphorus recycling in Canada
North America’s first full-scale commercial struvite recovery reactor started operation in Edmonton, Canada, in early 2007. Built by Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc., the plant is based on the fluidised bed reactor technology developed by UBC (University of British Columbia) over recent years. The struvite fertiliser produced is marketed under the name of Crystal Green. A further project is now being tested, with a pilot plant at the Clean Water Services Durham Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, Oregon.
 
7/2007 Closing the loop
A report published by Green Alliance, UK, presents the need to ‘close the loop’ of nutrient cycle management, by recycling phosphates: “for long-term sustainability. Phosphorus recovery during wastewater treatment is highly efficient … under these circumstances, it may not be necessary to control inputs of phosphorus to the wastewater collection system.”

Green Alliance’s report “The nutrient cycle: closing the loop”, 2007.

 
4/2007 Eutrophication risk assessment

The European quantitative eutrophication risk assessment of detergent phosphates carried out by the Spanish national research institute INIA, 2007, and published by the European Commission shows that the use of phosphates in detergents typically increases the eutrophication risk only by around 0.5 - 3% in most of Europe.

- “Development of an European Quantitative Eutrophication Risk Assessment of Polyphosphates in Detergents” Final Updated Report April 2007

 
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