The problem is that wastewater treatment plants aren’t very good at removing chemicals found in household products like body wash. In fact, according to Summer Streets, a research scientist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, they were “never designed to remove these types of chemicals, period. And they still aren’t.”
Most wastewater treatment plants were designed to remove solid waste and some associated contaminants, but many of the chemicals in the household products we use today weren’t on the radar when most plants were designed. Unfortunately, the cost of designing systems to remove these types of contaminants is “exorbitant,” according to Streets.
The result is that many ingredients from products like body wash, shampoo, soap, and other personal care products make their way through wastewater treatment plants, directly entering our aquatic environment. “The drain is one of the ways the chemicals of daily life make their way into the environment in a really widespread way,” according to Streets.
Once a chemical ends up in the aquatic environment, its effects depend on how the chemical behaves. Some chemicals pollute the environment, some find their way back into our bodies, and some affect animals and plants. Here are a few examples—and what they mean for us as consumers.
Surfactants are a group of chemicals used ubiquitously in household products, including personal care, for cleansing and sometimes creating suds. The power of surfactants comes from their unique chemical structure: One end attracts fat and the other water, allowing surfactants to “grab” onto dirt and grime to help it be washed away. But this power is also their weakness: The very structure that makes surfactants so crucial in cleaning and personal care products is exactly what makes them so hard to remove from wastewater during the treatment process at facilities. This means that an estimated 7 million tons of surfactants end up in our aquatic environment globally each year, according to some research.
Once in the aquatic environment, some surfactants may pose problems for animals, plants, microorganisms, and potentially even people. And while the concentrations of surfactants in products we use day to day are typically below thresholds that would be considered dangerous to the environment on their own, the environmental risks add up fast when you consider the billions of people using these products worldwide every single day. According to some researchers, the buildup of surfactants in the environment can lead to potential harm. This accumulation is also an unwanted consequence of using surfactants that are not biodegradable.
We want surfactants in our products to ensure we’re washing away bacteria, getting our clothes clean, and making our dishes sparkle, so lightening our footprint in this case doesn’t mean doing away with these ingredients. Rather, by turning to surfactants that are biodegradable and less toxic to aquatic life (see our tips below for more information), we can make more sustainable choices.
Fragrance, which can contain dozens of undisclosed ingredients, is another primary concern when it comes to choosing a body wash without potentially harmful chemicals, according to Streets. Transparency on packaging is severely lacking in the personal care industry due to U.S. federal legislation that categorizes fragrance ingredients as trade secrets. Because fragrance ingredients do not need to be disclosed on packaging, consumers can’t always see what they may be exposing themselves to when using a product.
This transparency is important because some fragrance formulations have been associated with problematic health and environmental effects, including endocrine disruption, cancer, and a lack of biodegradability. Some common fragrance ingredients can also build up in our bodies, in the environment, and in animals, including those we eat.
Exposure to a potentially concerning ingredient from something like body wash might feel small, but when the substance has the ability to build up in your system or the environment, it can add up. Streets offered the scenario of using a body wash containing ingredients that can build up in the body five times a week for decades of your life. “Your exposure might be a little every day, but if it’s something your body holds on to for a long time, those little exposures will add up to a big exposure.”
Once those substances enter the aquatic environment, they can build up there too. Again, this may seem small, but “it’s you, plus 8 billion other people,” Streets says. “It adds up eventually.”
