The European parliament has approved a ban on the use of phosphates and a limitation of phosphorus compounds in laundry detergents for household use within the EU. The prohibition should come into force from June 30, 2013 initially covering only detergents intended for domestic consumers. The new restrictions require that a standard dose of laundry detergent cannot contain more than 0.5 grams of phosphorus. From 2017 restrictions will be extended to detergents for dishwashers.
The new rules aim to protect aquatic ecosystems from the harmful effects of phosphates, which if present in excessive amounts in water cause eutrophication, accelerating the growth of algae at the expense of other aquatic organisms.

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