Laundry and dishwashing detergents are supposed to get clothes and dishes clean, not leaving anything behind.

But scientists are beginning to realize the chemical ingredients used in traditional detergents are full of toxins that harm both people and the environment.

Alternative ingredients are available, and a number of eco-friendly products now make it possible to wash laundry and dishes and keep a clean conscience.

Nonyl Phenoxy Ethoxylate

One of the most harmful ingredients in laundry detergent is nonyl phenoxy ethoxylate, sometimes listed at NPE.

The Sierra Club has launched a campaign against the toxin, which is already banned in Canada and Europe.

Research shows even small amounts of nonyl phenoxy ethoxylate interferes with the growth, reproduction and survival of fish and shellfish, according to the Sierra Club’s Web site.

Nonyl phenoxy ethoxylate is not biodegradable and becomes more toxic as it is metabolized by bacteria in the process wastewater treatment plants apply to effluent before discharging it into oceans, bays, creaks and streams, according to the Sierra Club.

Optical Brighteners

Clothes that are brighter aren’t necessarily cleaner.

Traditional detergent manufacturers use optical brighteners to trick consumers into thinking their product is working well.

But it’s an illusion, saidMartin Wolf, director of product and environmental technology for eco-friendly company Seventh Generation.

Optical brighteners coat clean laundry with microscopic fluorescent particles, Wolf said.

When invisible ultraviolet light hits these particles, they convert it into visible light to create an optical illusion that tricks the eye into thinking our clothes are super-clean, he said.

The illusionary particles are derived from benzene, which is not biodegradable and poisons aquatic life, Wolf said.

They can also create allergic reactions when they rub off clothes and onto people. When sunlight hits the particles on skin, it creates a sunburn-like rash, Wolf said.

Chlorine

One of the most common ingredients in cleaning products, chlorine is also one of the most harmful to humans.

Chlorine is a potent irritant to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract and the lungs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It has been used since World War I as a chemical weapon.

When released into the environment, chlorine can react with organic substances to create harmful compounds, like chloroform and dioxin.

Chlorine is often used in dishwashing detergent and common household bleach.

Plant-Based Products

Companies making environmentally friendly products trade synthetic and petroleum-based ingredients for plant derivatives.

Earth Friendly Products, a company that makes more than 60 different cleaning products, uses coconut as the primary surfactant in its laundry detergent, said Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, company spokesperson.

Instead of artificial fragrance, the laundry detergent uses organic essential oil.

“Everything is 100 percent all natural,” said Vlahakis-Hanks.

Laundry and dishwashing detergents made by both Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly Products are biodegradable.

When evaluating detergents, consumers should look carefully at the ingredient list, Wolf said.

“Products that claim to be eco-friendly but do not list all their ingredients, or which use generic terms like ‘anionic surfactant,’ cannot be adequately evaluated for their effect on human health or the environment,” he said.

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Cleaning tips

Homemade

dishwashing detergent

Mix equal parts of borax and baking soda and store in a tightly sealed container. Use 2 tablespoons per load. For hard water, double the amount of baking soda in the mixture. For either mixture, use vinegar in the rinse cycle.

Recipe courtesy of the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia)

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Ingredients to avoid in laundry and dishwashing detergents

Ammonia

Artificial fragrances — usually petroleum-based

Butoxy ethanol — used in stain removers

EDTA (ethylene-diamino-tetra-acetate)

Chlorine — usually found in dishwashing detergent

Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates (LAS) — often listed as ‘anionic surfactants’

Monoethanolamine

Optical brighteners (OBs)

Parabens — usually preceded by the prefixes methyl-, ethyl-, butyl-, or propyl

Petroleum distillates — often listed as napthas

Phenols — often listed as nonyl phenol ethoxylates

Phosphates — contribute to algae blooms

Phosphoric acid

Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfatew