Some state officials believe a 

 ban on phosphate detergents 

 would be a beneficial first step 

 toward lessening phosphorus 

 levels in the Neuse and other 

 state rivers. But the Soap and 

 Detergent Association dis- 

 agrees, saying phosphate reduc- 

 tions would be insignificant 

 (about 11 percent in the upper 

 Neuse). 



George Everett of the Divi- 

 sion of Environmental Manage- 

 ment says the proposed ban 

 alone may not be enough to 

 solve the problem of algal 

 blooms. But the ban used in 

 conjunction with measures to 

 control agricultural and urban run-off, might be enough 

 to keep the state from imposing strict nutrient limita- 

 tions, he says. 



Besides disagreeing over the need for a ban, the groups 

 are also at odds over the cleaning power of non-phos- 

 phate detergents. Bob Singer, vice-president for the New 

 York-based association, says non-phosphate detergents 

 require more hot water and laundry additives to do the 

 same job. He says non-phosphate detergents also cause 

 more wear on washing machines and clothes because the 



A Phosphate Ban? 



cleaning substitute, sodium car- 

 bonate, combines with minerals 

 in the water to form limestone 

 deposits that accumulate on 

 fabrics and in machines. 



But state officials say 

 precipitation won't be a 

 problem in soft-water areas (87 

 percent of North Carolina's 

 water supply is classified as 

 soft). And in hard-water areas, 

 use of a liquid non-phosphate 

 detergent will prevent problems 

 with precipitation. 



Association spokesmen main- 

 tain the ban would cost the 

 average person $9 per year in 

 extra hot water, additives and 

 wear, while chemical removal at the waste treatment 

 plant would cost $8 per person. State officials say there 

 would be little or no extra cost if the ban were imposed. 

 The costs associated with wear could be eliminated with 

 use of liquids and, officials say, non-phosphates are 

 generally cheaper. 



Jamie King, president of the Neuse River Foundation, 

 an organization dedicated to upholding environmental 

 quality in the Neuse River basin, says his organization is 

 in favor of the ban. 



for some answers," he says. "We're hoping Hans can tell us 

 just how far we need to cut back." 



Paerl says he is waiting on test results from this summer's 

 bloom before making any statements about nutrient loads. 

 But he says, "We're not talking about small excesses. We're 

 talking a thirty to fifty percent excess of nutrients in the 

 Neuse system. And it's probably been like this for the last 

 fifteen to twenty years. 



"The Neuse flows through one of the most populated 

 areas of the state and one of the most highly developed 

 agricultural areas. And every year there are more farmers, 

 more people flushing their toilets and more industries. We 



Photo by Nancy Davis 



The bloom forms a scum that coats the surface 



shouldn't be so surprised we're suddenly having blooms. 



Everett says the DEM began monitoring the Neuse in 

 1978. Scientists studied nutrient levels, chlorophyll a levels, 

 biomass of algae, algal species present and water 

 parameters. They examined land-use in the basin and began 

 analyzing the nutrient content of major point-source dis- 

 chargers. Here are some of the things they learned: 



• Average summer levels of chlorophyll a, an indicator of 

 algal biomass, for the Neuse at New Bern have doubled 

 since the early 1970s. The state water-quality standard is 40 

 micrograms of chlorophyll a per liter. This summer in bloom 

 areas, levels were as high as 300 to 500 micrograms per liter 

 in the water column and 1,700 micrograms per liter near the 

 water's surface. 



• Harvested cropland in the Neuse River basin increased 

 approximately 30 percent from 1967 to 1980. A DEM report 

 released this year indicated that agriculture contributed 40 

 percent of the nutrient nitrogen and 25 percent of the 

 phosphorus released into the river. 



• Census figures indicate that the urban population using 

 centralized sewage treatment facilities increased by 29 per- 

 cent between 1970 and 1980. The DEM report showed that 

 17 percent of the nitrogen and 42 percent of the phosphorus 

 are discharged from municipal waste treatment plants. 



• Forest and wetlands account for 20 percent of the 

 nitrogen input and slightly less than 10 percent of the 

 phosphorus input. 



• Industry contributed four percent of the nitrogen and 

 three percent of the phosphorus. 



Continued on next page 



