A total of seventeen states have banned the use of phosphates in dishwasher detergents because the chemical poses a threat to the environment. The chemical was heavily polluting many natural lakes, bays, rivers and streams. After entering a water source, the chemical creates algae blooms, which starve fish and other aquatic life of oxygen. Unfortunately, it was also a major contributor to how well dishwashers were able to clean dishes, pans and more. Many proponents of the chemical are, understandably, upset that their dishwasher no longer cleans dishes as well, let alone adequately. It’s a tough issue, particularly because even though phosphates clean dishes well, no one wants to cause severe harm to our planet and natural water streams. On the flip-side, it means that people have to hand-wash dishes a lot of times before putting them into a dishwasher. Undoubtedly, that wastes a lot of water which is also damaging. As of now, however, many detergent companies have removed phosphates because it’s not feasible to create two versions of their product, one for states with laws and one for those without.