Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The subject of plastics and what's being used in peoples system components concerns me and I'd like to find more information. My main concern is that systems are closed loop, so whatever leaches out is going to keep cycling in the system until it's removed, and generally in an aquaponic system that means eating it.

Now before people jump in and say "But I've been using such and such and I feel fine." Some of these toxins can take long periods of time before they show any effects on your health, in fact some of the effects of these toxins may not show up as a negative health benefit to you at all, but they can cause serious issues for your offspring

Anyone found any good sites that give details about these??

I found these:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html

http://www.nontoxiclife.com.au/index.ph ... &chapter=0

I was thinking about this last night , and worrying myself sick , as always when I think about the unavoidable poison that gets shoved down our throats .

given the horrible junk that big scale agriculture used to sell more food ( such as methyl bromide used in fumigating imported garlic - one of the worlds deadliest poisons according to diggers club , plus 45 times more destructive to the ozone than cfc's ) ,
Am I just blinkering myself to the possible dangers of closed loop systems by thinking that theres still less toxins & poisons in there , even if theres stuff leeching out of the plastic ?
Im using washed ibc's that have had food additives in , Im covering them so the sunlight doesnt affect them , so my main concern is the only other 2 plastics in the system - the white pvc pipes that everyone seems to be using , and the black "resun" pumps that run the system - theyre from china , what are THEY made out of ?

I yearn for the day I can buy an untouched patch of dirt in the bush , grow everything in the ground and in a pond , power it all by wind and pipe it all with often-replaced bamboo ..

sorry to hijack your thread eb , plastics is a real worry for me , scares the $h## out of me everytime I think about it too hard .
More information from anywhere and anyone would sure as hell make me sleep better

Since water is not an issue for me - I am actually thinking of purging the system occassionally - we have a nursery with tree seedlings - I am figuring when the system reaches a certain point, leach off some for the seedlings.

In this way, I also dilute whatever nasties develop as well. I will lose some fertility but will gain it in less fertilizer in the nursery.

I found a little bit on pvc piping ,
here's the whole article ( its about greenpeace wanting to phase out pvc because of the chlorine used in its manufacture )

but heres the bit that pertains specifically to dwv pvc :

"Compared with many other applications, the PVC compound used in pipes and fittings is relatively pure: 70% to 95% PVC resin by weight, according to the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association. By far the most common additive (up to 20% of the PVC compound) is a simple filler, usually calcium carbonate, that reduces manufacturing cost, stiffens the melt and can provide various strength properties. Other common additives, comprising a fraction of a percent up to 1% or 2%, include heat stabilizers, UV screens, pigments, impact modifiers, and lubricants. Because the pipe needs to be rigid, plasticizers—the most significant additives in many other PVC products—are not added."

The main problem it seems with normal pvc is the addition of DEHP as a plasticiser , but thats not in piping pvc cause it doesnt need to be flexible

so , maybe , ( its a looong stretch , but mayyybe ) some of the leechate is actually HELPING to buffer my system ?? Im still worried , but that makes me worry a bit less . probably more chemicals in this beer Im drinking

oops , didnt post the link to the article .

http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/artic ... 30101b.xml

This is a concern of mine also. I am using galvanized metal, pvc and, stock tanks. I am hoping that the bio film will form a layer of protection. My well water coats all my pipes with a layer of clay so that makes me feel better. Still, I plan on putting fresh watter in each tank as the fish are all harvested every year.


They state, basically, that our exposure levels are not high enough to have a problem. I assume that includes bottled waters ect. However, if we had a plastic system and never changed the water it might become a problem a few years down the road.

IMHO only, I feel just like carbon offsets, everyone would be better off just growing and eating from their systems and not from the shops.
All synthetic materials will out gas to some degree, but what about during manufacture.
Food grade is best, food grown at home is best, no food miles is best, fresh is best, know what you put in is best, learn to grow your own is best.

If you have any friends at CBH ask them what they use at the grain bins to fumigate all the wheat, fairly certain it's methyl bromide and I'm also fairly certain they won't tell you

looks like breads off the menu aswell ..
damn

and cakes, wheeties, pizzas, bikkies, actually anything bulk handled!

A check on the IBC and the blue 55 gallon (208 liter) barrels are both HDPE. According to Joel's referenced site:
http://www.nontoxiclife.com.au/index.ph ... &chapter=0

both of these are safe for reuse and do not leach carcinogens or endocrine disruptors.

These are what we've used for containers and since they are common, though I'd post what I found.

TIME Magazine listed 'locavore' as a new 2007 word. It describes people who prefer to eat locally produced food and I can't imagine anything more approppriate than backyard produce.

In the 50s and 60s I spent 14 years in the rubber industry. Just about all chemicals and fumes I worked with have since been declared carcinogenic. Other polymer-based industries like plastics are the same. Rachel Carson ('Silent Spring') warned us in 1962!

My resolve to be a 'locavore', eat organic and live as far away from polluted areas seems to have kept me alive and reasonably fit.

I imagine I am preaching to the converted. Keep healthy!

Adrian9737 (my DOB)

Locavore, sounds good. I wonder if it will catch on?

I have occaisionally thought about the plastics in my system, some of them are not "food grade", but I certinally don't loose any sleep about it. I dont drink or smoke, I have a fairly clean and healthy lifestyle, and I figure anything I grow at home has got to be better for me, my family, and the environment than what I buy in the shops despite the "risks" of using plastics. I think there are plenty of other potential risks in my life that I would/should address for the benefit of my own health and for the environment which I think would have a greater impact rather than worry about potential leeching out of my GB's. e.g. use my car less, buy less material things, drink less Coke ...

As other have mentioned the biggest worry are often the plasticisers. PVC does not use much if any, and i believe that the HDPE materials dont use any either.

I think that joels initial post may have been regarding the range of things used as growbeds?

KE, i hear ya bud, harm minimisation, AP style