Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sad but true

Don't forget drinking from the garden hose.

Speak of the devil..... http://news.google.com/news?pz=1&ned=us ... 41&topic=n

Well, most garden hoses have more led than I really want to be drinking a lot of. I try to run the food grade RV hoses for food/cooking purposes or if I'm gonna be giving the AP system more than a spritz.

I have been drinking from garden hose all my life

Heh, I did that when I was 12 and got sick. Haven't tried it since.

garden hoses retain water in them, get warm and breed nasty bacteria. It is possible to get very sick, however if the hose is flushed fully before drinking, I believe a little bad bacteria is good for your immune system. Keep it busy and feeling useful, so it doesn't get slack and spend all day outside smoking and chatting to ppl actually trying to work.

Yep, many memories of drinking straight from the hose... Mmmmm, that funny plasticy hose taste..

I have these two internet links that may help.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae usually enters its host through scratches or puncture wounds on the surface of the skin.
In fish this organism does not cause disease BUT it grows and persists for long periods on the body surface which puts those who handle fish at high risk of contracting this organism.
Human infections are primarily found as a result of occupational hazards such as those who handle fish or pigs.
http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases ... athiae.htm
Note- catfish are particularly worrisome because they have the spines that can easily penetrate the skin. In fact, an incident of an infection caused just this way brought this disease to my attention, especially since catfish are one of the species I intend to raise.

Fish Health Management Considerations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems - Part 2: Pathogens1
Pathogens can be transmitted several ways within a recirculating system:
in the water
fish to fish
by vectors and fomites
in the food
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA100
Note- this one is a general overview of all pathogens but it does highlight one potential problem that I don't think has been previously discussed- that an outside animal (aka vector) such as a bird, cat, dog, insect or even a rat or mouse can contaminate a system.

All, are we getting too carried away?
Dogs, cats, feral animals, birds and insects don't "drop" in soil based crops?
We don't use horse, cow, sheep, fowl and human crap in soil gardens as fertilisers and "organic" soil mixes?
Still let the Dog lick your face?
Still let the Cat on your lap and rub your legs while they still urinate through their skin?

You are covered in pathogens every day in every way, we still live with it!
If you saw a high magnification of the beasties that live on your forehead and only only human foreheads! you would be running for the wire brush and carbolic acid every couple of hours!
Drinking out of the hose, having a pee in the shower, not using gloves to handle potting ("potty") mix, walking barefoot in your chook yard are all things that could, possibly, conceivably, in theory and in litiginous parlance, have some unwanted effects. But surely we have to get out from under the cotton wool and the Lawyers nest and live our lives to enjoy!
Two bob's worth.
Cheers IanK.

I love the way little bits of sanity appear on the forum from time to time...

I'm with you Ian.... we're just so damn over-sanitised... it's no wonder we're over-sensitised...

+1
still, untreated human poop can be nasty, as for the rest, wash it and you'll be fine. I was showing off my AP system, and some1 saw a herb they didn't know. I picked some and suggested they try it, but they said no. When I said it was home grown and clean I was told: 'It could have possum poop and stuff on it"
Bah!

Just as well you didn't tell them it was grown in fish shit...

It is good to know what the specific dangers are with handling fish.

The real goal here is looking for the studies that say growing in AP is just as safe if not safer than the dirt garden. (Since I have run into several people who immediately think Aquaponics....Oh wait, don't people get salmonella from that....(they only kinda skipped over the part that it is really aquaculture using fresh manure as the algae feed stock that is really the more likely possible risk for salmonella.)

Yes there are vectors for contamination of an AP system just like there are vectors that can contaminate gardens, and stored food/feed anywhere.

Point is Aquaponics (minus the fresh warm blooded animal manure) is just as safe as food from the dirt garden and fish caught in the wild and sometimes safer. And in my estimation, safer than the stuff at the grocery store.

AP is WAY safer than the grocery store! Just think of all the people who wipe their bottom side then dont wash their hands. Its those people handling the food.

I figure its just like aerated compost tea. With a healthy colony of good bacteria out competing the bad, there is not room for for the bad and I stay healthy.