The federal government has announced it will further limit the use of phosphates in household detergents to help control harmful blue-green algae growth in Canadian lakes and waterways.

Environment Minister John Baird and Public Works Minister Michael Fortier were in Montreal to announce the phosphate limit.
(CBC)

By 2010, all laundry and dishwasher detergents, and "if warranted" in some general household cleaners sold in Canada, will contain no more than 0.5 per cent phosphates by weight, federal Environment Minister John Baird said Friday in Montreal.

At the moment, the phosphorus limit in laundry detergent is 2.2 per cent.

"We've seen the impact of higher levels of phosphorus in our lakes, in our rivers, in our streams: beaches closed and summer holidays ruined; lakes and rivers choked with blue-green algae; poisonous impact on marine life and livestock. That's why our government is taking action," Baird said.

"This change will allow us to better control the amount of phosphates that end up in our lakes, in our rivers and streams, and will help curb blue-green algae growth that chokes our waters."

But Jean Langlois, national campaign director for the Sierra Club, said that agricultural runoff contributes 300 times the weight of phosphorus that dishwasher detergents do.

Asked about agriculture's contribution to the problem, Baird only said he's working on it.

The detergent limit "is one action, one of many that is needed. I think we are signalling today an engagement that it is a priority," he said.

Phosphates promote algae growth, which appears as scum on the surface of water. The algae plants die and sink to the bottom of the lake. When they decompose, they use up the oxygen in the water, suffocating other plant and animal species.

Quebec welcomes move

Quebec Environment Minister Line Beauchamp congratulated the Conservative government for taking what she calls an "important" step in cleaning up Canadian waters.

Beauchamp "rejoiced" to have the federal government follow the lead of Quebec and Manitoba in banning phosphate-rich detergents. She said that even though the measure targets only a specific product, it would make a difference.

"People who live near lakes want to contribute to the solution" to reduce blue-green algae growth, Beauchamp said. "This is a first step, which allows everyone to participate.

"Every act counts."

Last year, Manitoba and Quebec introduced anti-phosphate measures for detergents in an attempt to address longstanding problems caused by the proliferation of blue-green algae in the respective province's lakes and rivers.

Both provinces announced plans to limit phosphate concentrations in dishwasher detergents to 0.5 per cent by 2010 and called on Ottawa to do the same.

For the past two summers, dozens of lakes in Quebec were found to be contaminated with blue-green algae. Last year, Quebec issued contamination warnings for more than 50 lakes because they contained an overabundance of algae blooms that could emit potentially dangerous toxins.

The north basin of Lake Winnipeg was also clogged with algae last summer.

The blooms are generally considered harmless to people, but they can sometimes produce neurotoxins that can be dangerous if ingested in large enough quantities.

Phosphates have long been limited in laundry detergents and shampoos in Canada. Under the current Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the concentration of phosphorus in any laundry detergent cannot exceed five per cent by weight.

Full-out phosphate ban premature

Last fall, the Sierra Club endorsed a bill introduced by Bloc Québécois MP Guy André to ban detergents that contain phosphates.

The government stopped short of banning phosphates all together because "a small bit of the products does obviously lead to better results for the consumer," Baird said. "I think you need to have minimal content in it to have effectiveness in the product.

The new measures will help discourage blue-green algae growth but other polluters should also be targeted, said the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association.

"We're really hoping that other players who are the more significant contributors come to the table and provide some solutions on how we can ensure that our lakes and waterways are safe," said Shannon Coombs, president of the national association.

Manufacturers are weighing alternatives to phosphates, such as citric acid, that would give detergents extra power to break down grease and grime.