Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I just cut open a blue barrel today and noticed that the plastic inside has been bleached white. I was led to believe that the barrel was originally used for waste oil and later to store hydrocloric acid, neither or which should react with the plastic.

The attached image shows the freshly cut barrel on the left and an older barrel on the right. You can clearly see the change in colour..Has anyone ever seen something similar? It doesn't feel like there's any reisdue or anything on the inside so it should be safe but better to be safe than sorry right...


Cheers

EDIT: It sorta looks like there some crust on the inside but it's just plastic shavings from cutting the barrel. The interior is smooth and free or particulates..

The way it is so uniform maybe it was just made that way on purpose? Maybe for a special use or something.

Fill it with water and see if algae grows in a couple of weeks. If it does, then it'll be fine

Thats normal, I've seen it before in a few barrels. If you look really closely, it's moulded and part of the barrel, a lining or rather just an internal layer added when they roto-mould them. Might be a different plastic perhaps to the structural part of the barrel. I used them and didn;t cause any problems I know of..

Apart from that extra finger you grew EB :s

Yeah, could explain a few different thing...

I have seen this on one of the barrels that I cut open as well. I would say that it would be more that the barrel is moulded this way like EB suggested rather than being "bleached" by some chemical it contains as I don't think the barrels are filled right to the top.

So my guess would be that it is a cost saving exercise by the manufacturer, less pigmentation through the whole blue barrel and only on the outside so that it still does not let light (UV) through the barrel to break down the barrel faster...

The internal layer may also be a food safe plastic or a non reactive plastic for a specific content.

Awesome.. Thanks for all the replies.

Seems like it should be fine. I'll leave it full out in the sun for a few weeks before using anyway.