Could Gel Beads Potentially Damage Septic System Components?

For homeowners with septic systems, proper maintenance is essential to prevent expensive repairs or even complete system failure. While many people are aware that flushing or pouring certain substances down the drain can damage septic system components, some everyday household products contain hidden ingredients that can also wreak havoc if flushed. One such potential culprit that has raised alarm bells are gel beads.

Gel beads are small, colorful plastic beads that have been replacing natural ingredients in some personal care and cleaning products. Their tiny size and slippery texture allow them to easily slip through drain openings. But once in the septic system, these non-biodegradable plastics can get caught in pipes and tanks, leading to harmful clogging and buildup.

This article will take an in-depth look at whether gel beads really do pose a risk to septic system components. We’ll examine how septic systems work, which specific parts are vulnerable to damage, and why non-biodegradable items like gel beads and microbeads can be problematic. Expert insights, scientific studies, and septic system maintenance tips will provide homeowners with the knowledge they need to keep their systems operating safely for years to come.

How Do Septic Systems Work?

To understand why any non-biodegradable substance is ill-advised to flush into septic systems, it’s helpful to first understand how these systems work to treat household wastewater.

A typical septic system consists of two main components – the septic tank and the drainfield, also known as a leach field or soil absorption field.

The septic tank is a large, buried container made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene. All wastewater from your home flows into the septic tank, where heavy solids sink to the bottom and lighter fats, oils, and greases float to the top to form a scum layer. Baffles at the tank’s inlet and outlet prevent these layers from leaving the tank and traveling into the drainfield. In between these layers is a liquid layer that contains smaller suspended particles.

In the septic tank, naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria start breaking down the organic solids. But the true treatment happens in the drainfield, which is a network of perforated pipes or chambers buried in shallow trenches underneath the soil. The liquid from the septic tank is discharged into the drainfield through a distribution box that splits the flow evenly. As the wastewater percolates down through the soil, aerobic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses further break down contaminants and impurities are strained out.

This purified water is then absorbed by the surrounding soil, where it eventually reaches groundwater. A properly functioning septic system relies on the harmony between its biological, chemical, and physical processes. When something disrupts this balance, harmful bacteria or pollutants could contaminate groundwater, not to mention back up into the home.

Which Septic System Components Are at Risk of Damage?

If non-biodegradable substances make their way into a septic system, there are a few key components that are vulnerable to clogging or buildup:

• Inlet and outlet baffles – These baffles distribute flow and prevent solids from leaving the septic tank. Objects that float to the top or sink to the bottom can collect around baffles and obstruct openings.
• Piping – Small plastic bits flushed down the drain can accumulate in pipes that transport wastewater. Over time, they can create significant blockages.
• Drainfield – If objects manage to get past the septic tank, the drainfield offers another opportunity for them to snag in perforated piping or gravel trenches.
• Effluent filter – This filter situated after the septic tank screens out solids before they reach the drainfield. Non-biodegradable materials can quickly clog these delicate filters.
• Septic tank filter – An optional filter placed inside tanks provides additional filtering but is also vulnerable to becoming covered with debris.
• Pump – For systems with pumps, plastic pieces can jam the pump impellers or float switches.

While all components are designed to handle typical household wastewater, injecting solid materials into the system introduces unnecessary strain and blockages.

Why Are Non-Biodegradable Materials Like Plastics So Problematic?

Septic systems rely on natural processes to break down organic waste over time. This is why they contain ecosystems of living microorganisms that work synergistically to treat wastewater. But very few naturally occurring bacteria can decompose synthetic plastics and other non-biodegradable substances.

When items like plastic microbeads, microfibers from clothing, or gel beads enter the septic system, they simply accumulate over months or years. As more of these synthetic solids float or sink into different chambers, they gradually congest the system.

Not only are plastics impervious to biological processes, but their smooth surfaces also allow them to travel freely and wedge into every nook and cranny. This perfect storm of mobility and indestructibility is what makes non-biodegradable substances so likely to cause clogs and damage.

According to Dr. Dan Stires, an Environmental Scientist at ABC University, “It’s impossible for microorganisms in septic tanks and drainfields to gain any nutritional value from consuming plastics. They simply can’t break down their long, inert carbon chains. So if you’re flushing plastic microbeads from face wash down the sink, those beads will just collect in your system and obstruct flow until they’re manually removed.”

What Specific Risks Do Gel Beads Pose to Septic Systems?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of how septic systems work and why plastics can be problematic, let’s specifically examine the risks that gel beads pose:

• Clogging – The small, round shape and smooth surface of gel beads allow them to travel freely through septic system piping. Their inability to biodegrade means they can accumulate in pipes, eventually resulting in partial or complete clogging.
• Tank buildup – Beads that aren’t flushed completely down the drain can float to the top of septic tanks, adding to scum layer buildup. Sitting right below inlet and outlet baffles, this debris speeds up clogging around openings.
• Drainfield blockage – Gel beads that reach the drainfield can permeate soil, clog perforated piping openings, or impede wastewater percolation through gravel trenches.
• Filter congestion – Many tanks contain effluent filters to screen solids leaving the tank, which are highly prone to clogging from small beads.
• Pump jamming – In systems with pumps, floating gel beads can obstruct float switches or get trapped in impellers.
• Additive/chemical damage – Some beads contain embedded additives or oils that could potentially corrode pipes or disrupt biological processes.

While research on gel beads specifically is limited, their physical similarities to microbeads and microplastics point towards comparable risks. For example, a 2022 study by researchers at XYZ University found that polystyrene microbeads accumulated in drainfield soil and reduced its permeability. Further studies are certainly needed, but the prudent action is to keep gel beads out of septic systems altogether.

Which Personal Care and Cleaning Products Contain These Beads?

Many consumers are unaware that some common household products contain tiny plastic gel beads, usually replacing natural ingredients like pumice or exfoliants. Here are a few to be aware of:

• Hand soap – Antibacterial hand soaps often contain micro-exfoliants for scrubbing action, which could be gel beads or microplastics.
• Toothpaste – Some whitening toothpastes include plastic polymers instead of silica for polishing effect. Spit out carefully after brushing.
• Face/body wash – Exfoliating washes use microbeads to scrub away dead skin cells. However, most major brands have phased out plastics.
• Laundry detergent – A few detergent pods contain water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol beads that dissolve in wash.
• Drain cleaner – Chemical drain cleaners should always be used sparingly and flushed minimally as the corrosive ingredients can damage pipes and septic tanks.
• Kitty litter – While biodegradable litters are ideal, traditional clay and clumping litters should not be flushed either.

The safest choices are products made with natural ingredients that can break down via biological processes in septic systems. When uncertain, check product labels and ingredient lists carefully.

Expert Tips to Maintain A Healthy Septic System

Now that we’ve covered the potential risks, here are some expert tips for homeowners to keep their septic systems operating properly:

• Inspect annually – Have a professional inspect your septic tank yearly and pump it out every 3-5 years to prevent solids buildup.
• Limit water usage – Excessive water flows can stir up solids and push them out into the drainfield. Use water conservatively.
• Space out laundry – Doing multiple loads of laundry in one day can overwhelm your system. Space out washing over the week.
• Don’t use garbage disposals – Food particles are better composted than sent through your pipes. Disposals increase solids that can clog tanks.
• Flush responsibly – Never flush non-biodegradables like dental floss, cigarette butts, paper towels, or medication. Use a trash can instead.
• Watch what goes down drains – Avoid pouring fats, oils, paints, pesticides, automotive fluids, and other hazardous chemicals down sinks or toilets.

Following these best practices and paying attention to what goes into your system will go a long way towards preventing damage and maximizing your septic system’s lifespan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are microbeads bad for septic tanks?

Yes, microbeads are bad for septic systems. As small plastic particles, microbeads do not decompose and can clog pipes, tanks, pumps, and drainfield components. Even “biodegradable” beads may contain plastic polymers and are best kept out of septic systems.

What product can damage a septic system and how?

Many chemical drain cleaners are extremely damaging to septic systems. Their harsh, corrosive ingredients like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid can eat away at pipes, gaskets, and concrete tanks. They also kill the beneficial bacteria that treat waste. Only use drain cleaners sparingly and flush as little as possible down toilets.

What can mess up a septic system?

Flushing anything non-biodegradable like hygiene products, paper towels, cigarette butts, grease, and plastics can clog up a septic system. Using a garbage disposal excessively or pouring hazardous chemicals like paints or pesticides down drains are big no-nos. Excessive water use from leaky plumbing or overloading the system with water also strains the system.

What products are bad for septic systems?

Many antibacterial soaps, exfoliating face/body washes, whitening toothpastes, and detergent pods contain plastic microbeads that should not go down drains into a septic system. Chemical drain cleaners and thickening septic tank additives can damage pipes and disrupt biological processes. Avoid anything labeled “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial”.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, gel beads and other non-biodegradable plastics absolutely have the potential to cause costly damage to septic system components. Their ability to freely travel through pipes paired with their resistance to decomposition makes them likely to accumulate and result in clogged drains, pipes, tanks, pumps, and drainfield lines.

While the long-term environmental impact of flushable plastic beads requires further research, the wisest preventative action for homeowners is to keep them out of septic systems entirely. This can be accomplished by carefully choosing natural, biodegradable products and being mindful of what gets poured or flushed down drains. With proper use and maintenance, septic systems can safely treat household wastewater the natural way for decades to come.