Soaker hose (was Re: [compost_tea] Re: best buy

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 15:32:12 -0700

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: soilfoodweb_at_aol.com
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 10:12 AM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: best buy


  Have we ever resolved the question of soaker hose releasing toxic chemcia=
ls and harming the organisms in tea, and possibly even your plants?




The data from Dr. Allison Draper deals with tire rubber and the constituten=
ts of that. He contention is that the material from tires is especially ac=
tive in water. The friction from the road causes the material to break out=
 and most of it shows up in water. I asked her about using soaker hose and=
 nitrates and bacterial action. She said that tires are loaded with antiba=
cterials and antifungals as part of the mix. She said that she wouldn't us=
e recycled tire rubber for anything that had to do with gardening or agricu=
lture. She did not indicate that she had run tests for that or that there =
was a definite link but she had enough fear of the constituents of a 'TIRE'=
 to totally stay away from any byproduct.

I was going to use soaker hose as aeration but didn't do it based on her in=
formation. As i reported in the past, there is a guy in AU or NZ who uses =
old tires as planters and he reports that the plants grown in them do not s=
how any increased chemicals or toxins. He advises using tires for whole or=
chards and has a theory about how the rubber absorbs and transfer heat in t=
he soil around the surface.

I have no idea because I can find no hard numbers one way or the other. Ba=
sed on Dr. Draper's work, I do not do anything with soaker hose made from r=
ecycled tire rubber. They may be 100% safe but I think she hit on some pos=
sibilities that deserve to be heeded.

I read a report that the average person living in the US has way more than =
the lowest levels of toxins and polutants allowed by EPA. (EPA standards ar=
e regarded as high by most people. This means that the EPA levels are high=
er than those in other countries.) We now have suits against strawberry fa=
rmers from bromide spraying and even the wineries have been cautioned here =
about antifungals. The stuff is starting to show up in the wines and in th=
e crops according to the article. (I don't know how bromide can show up in =
a strawberry. I thought it wasn't a systemic and it could only show up on =
a strawberry.)

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE



Received on Sat May 15 2004 - 21:40:59 EDT

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