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12
Household Detergents Causing
Eutrophication in Freshwater
Ecosystems
Abid A. Ansari and Fareed A. Khan
Abstract
In the present study, the impact of some selected household detergents has been studied on
the growth behavior and development of two freshwater duckweeds, namely Lemna minor
and Spirodela polyrrhiza. The growth responses of these selected free-floating duckweeds
to varying concentrations of “Surf Excel” (the most commonly used detergent) have been
studied with special reference to varying temperature and pH. There were three predominant
types of growth pattern of both the selected duckweeds treated with 36 selected detergents.
Some of the detergents increased the growth of the two duckweeds in almost logarithmic
progression showing increase in growth with increasing concentration (10–50 ppm). A few
detergents increased growth of both the selected duckweeds to a certain level of detergent
concentration and then the growth became stationary with further increase in detergent concentration. In the third type of response, the duckweed growth initially increased in response
to a certain level of detergent concentration and declined at higher detergent concentration.
It was inferred from the observations that detergents play important role in promoting the
growth of duckweeds. Out of 36 detergents studied, certain detergents effectively promoted
the growth of duckweeds even in low concentration. Certain brands of detergents resulted in
consistent increase in the growth with increasing concentration. The temperature effectively modified the duckweed response to the detergent. The cooler water medium had lesser
degree of eutrophication than the moderately warm water medium. Not the phosphorus
content alone, but the water quality (turbidity, pH, nutrient concentration, and dissolved
oxygen) modified by the detergent aggravated the problem of eutrophication. Therefore,
the water bodies receiving acids from any source in addition to detergent are more likely
to show a greater degree of eutrophication than a body receiving detergent without acids.
Keywords
Eutrophication · Lemna minor · Spirodela polyrrhiza · Detergents
12.1 Introduction
The water is an essential life supporting matter in every cell
of an organism. It enters into the living organisms via absorption or ingestion. It circulates between biotic and abiotic
components of the ecosystem. The misuse and reckless over
consumption has resulted into the fast depletion of water resources (Ansari and Khan 2007). The nutrient enrichment
of the water bodies caused from the natural and man-made
A. A. Ansari, S. S. Gill (eds.), Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Control,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7814-6_12, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
F. A. Khan ()
Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh 202002, India
e-mail: fareedkhan.amu2007@rediffmail.com
A. A. Ansari
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk,
Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
12
Household Detergents Causing
Eutrophication in Freshwater
Ecosystems
Abid A. Ansari and Fareed A. Khan
Abstract
In the present study, the impact of some selected household detergents has been studied on
the growth behavior and development of two freshwater duckweeds, namely Lemna minor
and Spirodela polyrrhiza. The growth responses of these selected free-floating duckweeds
to varying concentrations of “Surf Excel” (the most commonly used detergent) have been
studied with special reference to varying temperature and pH. There were three predominant
types of growth pattern of both the selected duckweeds treated with 36 selected detergents.
Some of the detergents increased the growth of the two duckweeds in almost logarithmic
progression showing increase in growth with increasing concentration (10–50 ppm). A few
detergents increased growth of both the selected duckweeds to a certain level of detergent
concentration and then the growth became stationary with further increase in detergent concentration. In the third type of response, the duckweed growth initially increased in response
to a certain level of detergent concentration and declined at higher detergent concentration.
It was inferred from the observations that detergents play important role in promoting the
growth of duckweeds. Out of 36 detergents studied, certain detergents effectively promoted
the growth of duckweeds even in low concentration. Certain brands of detergents resulted in
consistent increase in the growth with increasing concentration. The temperature effectively modified the duckweed response to the detergent. The cooler water medium had lesser
degree of eutrophication than the moderately warm water medium. Not the phosphorus
content alone, but the water quality (turbidity, pH, nutrient concentration, and dissolved
oxygen) modified by the detergent aggravated the problem of eutrophication. Therefore,
the water bodies receiving acids from any source in addition to detergent are more likely
to show a greater degree of eutrophication than a body receiving detergent without acids.
Keywords
Eutrophication · Lemna minor · Spirodela polyrrhiza · Detergents
12.1 Introduction
The water is an essential life supporting matter in every cell
of an organism. It enters into the living organisms via absorption or ingestion. It circulates between biotic and abiotic
components of the ecosystem. The misuse and reckless over
consumption has resulted into the fast depletion of water resources (Ansari and Khan 2007). The nutrient enrichment
of the water bodies caused from the natural and man-made
A. A. Ansari, S. S. Gill (eds.), Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Control,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7814-6_12, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
F. A. Khan ()
Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh 202002, India
e-mail: fareedkhan.amu2007@rediffmail.com
A. A. Ansari
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk,
Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia