Senator SPONG. Dr. Ira D. Hill. STATEMENT OF DR. IRA D. HILL, MANAGER OF RESEARCH, Dr. HILL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If you don't mind, I will sit to the side. I want to make part of my presentation in slides. I want to be sure my slides correspond to what am saying. My name is Ira D. Hill. I am a manager of research for Monsanto. We are a major supplier of raw materials to the detergent industry, including phosphates, surfactants, and, until last December, NTA. In achieving this position, we have had to develop substantial expertise in detergency and environmental and human safety. Our research laboratories are staffed with over 100 technical people devoted to the detergent raw material industry. It is my particular responsibility to direct our research efforts in determining the human and environmental safety of our detergent raw materials. I have a Ph. D. degree in biochemistry. Testimony given today makes it obvious that the public concern over phosphates and their role in local water quality problems has led to a proliferation of State and local laws that will ban the use of these phosphates which, in most cases, contain no provision for protection against harmful effects of alternate materials. As a result of this, we see the appearance of phosphate-free detergents which, generally, have four factors in common. They have been elaborated upon to a great extent, therefore, I will make my points short. They claim to be nonpolluting because they contain no phosphates. But to the best of our knowlege and I might say, I worked on the NTA environmental testing and in our own laboratories on the phosphate question, and I think I know all the literature on this testing— they have received no testing as to environmental impact. They claim to clean as well as phosphate detergents, yet they are based on materials which were tested and passed over for shortcomings over 25 years ago. The key, though, is that they are more alkaline than conventional phosphate-based detergents and, as such, I am convinced more hazardous for home use. The other factors of washing machine corrosion, reduced fabric strength, and such, have been discussed. My purpose is to discuss the third item, the hazardous nature of the phosphate-free detergents. To the best of our knowledge, through a detailed evaluation of 46 products, all of the phosphate-free detergents on the market today contain substantial amounts of sodium carbonate and are more alkaline than conventional phosphate-based products. There is a good reason this is necessary. You have to soften water for the detergent to perform. Phosphates normally do this by sequestering or grabbing onto the calcium and holding it. |