What is affected when soaps and detergents are released into the environment?

1 Answer
May 9, 2017

Rivers, lakes and other environmental areas...

Explanation:

Soaps and detergents cause water pollution. Old type of detergents included phosphorus and this (after discharge) caused algae growth in such water bodies.

Soaps cover water surfaces when they end in rivers or lakes. In such places aeration occurs from air to water. Dissolved oxygen is a must for aquatic water quality. If air cannot enter into water column, water body will suffer from decreasing oxygen level.

In air oxygen is plenty (approximately 20%) but in water it is limited (10 mg per liter). If this dissolved oxygen concentration drops 2 mg per liter, you cannot see sensitive and important life forms that need at least 8 mg per liter of oxygen in water.

If detergents and others are discharged heavily into lakes, rivers, etc., surface waters are affected badly.