Ever seen a classic raft tub system for either hydroponics
or aquaponics? Facilities often use DOW blue rafts for floating plants. Great
idea, right? Cheap, insulating, keeps light out preventing release of essential
micro and macro nutrients into the environment….
WRONG. These materials are NOT food grade.
I always had my doubts.
My mother, who is incredibly wary of materials that may leach harmful
chemicals into the environment, flipped when she first saw them and she had
good reason to!
Tons of facilities that grow hydroponic or aquaponic crops
use these and love them. These
materials are NOT designed for this purpose and several companies have denied
endorsement for the usage of their blue boards for aquaponic/hydroponic
purposes. I also recently discovered that New York State regulations now
require hydroponic/aquaponic productions to use food-grade plastics in place of
these rafts.
The problem? The foam boards are designed for insulation inside
houses- NOT for immersing in water. Polystyrene foam leaches toxins including
BPA, phthalates, and styrene when placed in warm conditions.
Solution? Look for food grade plastics. Or redesign your system, preferably with ZERO plastics. The following
company sells them precut and pre-holed. Don't ignore this- this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
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