Simply put – no!
Turns out soap – even those labeled as biodegradable– can impact lake water and the plants and animals that call the lake home. If something is labeled as biodegradable it typically means it will break down within six months under the right conditions. However, to biodegrade properly, soap requires soil. Biodegradable soap is therefore not fully biodegradable in water, something that often comes as a surprise to many people.
While soap may be labeled as biodegradable, eco-friendly, natural, or non-toxic, it still leaves behind ingredients that are not naturally found in our lakes. These ingredients can degrade water quality and impact aquatic life. For instance, detergents in soap can break the surface tension of water which makes it difficult for water striders and other aquatic insects to move along the water’s surface. It can also reduce oxygen levels in the lake, impacting fish.
You may think it’s fine, you only bathe in the lake a few times a year. How much of an impact can it really have? However, you’re not the only person who might bathe in your lake, and it doesn’t take long for the impacts of several people bathing in the lake to accumulate and impact the water. Not only for the plants and animals in the lake but for people too – water people use to swim, fish and play in.