Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] kiddie pool leachate

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: mangodance <bmn@iglou.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] kiddie pool leachate
  • Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 07:57:35 -0400

elijah smith wrote:
I got a load of kiddie pools - the premolded plastic type - at an auction. I've been using them for little ponds - azolla, hyacinth, fish from the local ponds. The water plants are to be used as mulch around the garden & orchard.
However -
We were talking about growing edible plants in these pools (wet taro) and someone said that this type of plastic will leach nasty stuff into the plants grown in it. This brought up the question - are there any health hazards with using the water plants from the pond as mulch for other plants? Should it be used for non-food crops only or something?


I can't speak to them specifically, but in general, all plastics will contain various agents to keep them flexible, etc (depending on the properties desired by the mfr), and most will eventually leach. Whether they are hazardous is a guess. But do keep in mind that even relatively non-noxious common articles can be hazardous. Garden hoses are notorious for making animals sick...and I can personally attest to the death of several hundred fish after having used a garden hose to suppliment about 15% of the water (after the dechlor of course). Now I know they have special hoses for livestock watering...but even those have to have other chems in them in order for them to remain supple.








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page