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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Poison Ivy & Chiggers
  • Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 09:43:48 EDT



> > Years ago when we learned how Chlorox breaks down into dioxin

To follow up on the Chlorox to dioxin misconception:

A few years ago I attended an organic farmers' gathering near here and
attended a workshop on tomato blight. When the topic of ridding tomato
sticks of
blight came up (which itself was ridiculous, wilt can be carried in the
stakes
but blight cannot), someone suggested dipping the tomato stakes in a weak
Chlorox solution. There was immediate rending of garments and heaping of
ashes by
the person giving the talk: "Don't you know Chlorox breaks down into
dioxins?!!!!"

It was a very enlightening gathering. I noted seven different myths that
came up upon which people based their entire farming methods but were only a
misconception of some other actual phenomenon. The Chlorox/dioxin is one of
them:

Chlorox is sodium-hypochlorite in very weak solution. Pulp mills almost
always use chlorine dioxide gas to bleach pulp for paper. At the very high
temperatures used the chlorine dioxide gas reacts with lignin and other
organic
compounds in the paper to produce dioxins. Gradually this practice is being
replaced by oxygen bleaching which will probably have its own hazards. But
household chlorine bleach cannot "break down" into a dioxin compound, it's
just not
possible. In the environment Chlorox breaks down into chlorine gas, salt,
and
water. As a cleaner you couldn't ask for something more environmentally safe.

Here's the funny thing, if you wanted to rid the environment and especially
your homestead of dioxins, avoiding Chlorox doesn't do a thing for you, but
avoiding bleached paper does. Bleached paper contains trace (but
significant)
levels of residual dioxins and they are released in their most harmful state
when the paper is burned.

James




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