Like a Snake in the Grass

Note: I appologize for posting this with a modified time. I have to admit to being somewhat vain and wanting my blog to retain the visual appeal of the previous post.

On a hot summer's day, the garden hose becons us with the promise of cold clear refreshment. No I'm not recommending you drink from it, but many of us fill plastic pools for our children or lavish a little liquid refreshment on our garden beds. So what I'm about to tell you might upset you. Garden hoses have been found to leach high levels of lead, along with other chemicals associated with plastics. Granted the test protocol was to leave water in the hose, on a hot day, and test it after about 12 hours. Anyone who knows how to care for a hose would never leave one to nearly melt in the sun, nor would most of us chose to use that hot hose water for any prized plants or pools, but I have to wonder how much leaches with typical use. When the price of a food-grade hose (sold in marine or rv supply stores) is comparable to the price of a heavy-duty garden hose, I think the consumer has a right to know.

Instead the label on my newly purchased garden hose warns, "DO NOT DRINK FROM THIS HOSE" and follows that with an explanation that various attachments you might have, lawn chemicals you may use, or bacteria that multiplies in hot water are the main concerns. I find this misleading. Reading it gave me the impression there was more going on, but how many people read the instructions that come with a garden hose? Further my hose was made from recycled plastics, which sounds wonderful, but when you consider that contaminants are not removed during the recycling of plastic, I'm a little troubled at what all went into my new hose.

More depressing news on plastics and how there is now evidence that plastic food containers are most likely causing America's weight epidemic, along with infertility in women, can be found here.