This is a re-post. I am working on my garden, turning on the hose today, and thought of this. So here it is again.
I have been working on my yard and garden. As I was looking into things, I read that typical garden hoses leach lead and are, therefor unsafe to drink from. Or water vegetables with.
Well, I've never planned on drinking from my garden hose, though I suppose my son and his friends might. But I don't want to be adding lead to my garden. I had simply never thought of this.
I checked out some hoses. Most warned people not to drink from them because "all hoses are likely to have come in contact with pesticides" and "germs may have grown in the hose." OK.
None of the packages said that the hoses contained lead. But look a little closer. Several packages said "Not labeled for sale in California." Really? Why not? California has stricter rules about the disclosure of lead and other toxins than most states.
There were two hoses -- one for organic gardening and one for marine used -- marked "lead-free" and "drinking water safe". I bought one of those. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
I wonder, though, why hoses don't have to be marked that they contain lead. It would seem a no-brainer to keep extra lead away from plants being grown for food.
For more information, try these links.
http://www.leadprevention.org/web/uploads//ConsumerReports.org%20-%20Get%20the%20lead%20out%20of%20the%20garden%20hose%205_03.pdf
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2012/05/garden-hose-phthalates-lead.html
I have been working on my yard and garden. As I was looking into things, I read that typical garden hoses leach lead and are, therefor unsafe to drink from. Or water vegetables with.
Well, I've never planned on drinking from my garden hose, though I suppose my son and his friends might. But I don't want to be adding lead to my garden. I had simply never thought of this.
I checked out some hoses. Most warned people not to drink from them because "all hoses are likely to have come in contact with pesticides" and "germs may have grown in the hose." OK.
None of the packages said that the hoses contained lead. But look a little closer. Several packages said "Not labeled for sale in California." Really? Why not? California has stricter rules about the disclosure of lead and other toxins than most states.
There were two hoses -- one for organic gardening and one for marine used -- marked "lead-free" and "drinking water safe". I bought one of those. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
I wonder, though, why hoses don't have to be marked that they contain lead. It would seem a no-brainer to keep extra lead away from plants being grown for food.
For more information, try these links.
http://www.leadprevention.org/web/uploads//ConsumerReports.org%20-%20Get%20the%20lead%20out%20of%20the%20garden%20hose%205_03.pdf
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2012/05/garden-hose-phthalates-lead.html
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