ANSWERS : Living

This is more of an answer than a question, well actually a starting point for you do to do your own research. I was just about to start using 2 liter plastic soda bottles and plastic tubs (hydroponics) for my garden. Then I began to wonder about BPA effects. As much as I wanted to use these and recycle, it doesn't look wise. In addition to all the toxic effects of BPA, the out gasing increases with the temperature. ... ie Harvest time over 100 degs and out gasing right into root structure. Cutting or denting plastic also increases the out gasing. Please do your own research about: 1) diseases linked to BPA, especially women 2) how the out gasing increasing with temp increase Please understand I am not here to scare you, but rather to incourage you to do the research

Comments

[tincanz]

I use plastic bottles to plant plants in often (see my instructable) and the plants have never had any trouble themselves, but I dont know if edible plants would be harmed or become harmful.

[Dr.Bill]

Use only plastic bottles that have a 1 inside the triangle on the bottom of the bottle.
Bottles with the 1 are safe for drinking water. They do not leach chems out into the water. So they are safe for growing food.

[bighead5454]

it would be dangerous because if you leave water bottles in the sun thenn they start being able to cause cancer so be careful if you do

[PyroMaster007]

it would work just fine.

[knittingrid]

If you're using food-grade plastic and it doesn't break down due to exposure to light, it should be fine. Many people grow vegetables (like tomatoes) in big white plastic buckets from restaurants. Just be sure to put drainage holes in the base.

[dagenius]

It is most likely safe, as long as you remove it when you are done, and aren't actually using the bottle AS food. :)

[niranj_1994]

On it is not safe to use such,because if the container is burried without your knowledge it would caus many damages to plants.

[BSG]

If you can read German look here Or ask your translating tool to work ist out):

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/gesundheit/860/461486/text/

Conclusion: A recent research showed, that mineral water in plastic bottle is contaminated with estrogens. More estrogens than wastewater is allowed to have (in Europe).

[NobodyInParticular]

Be careful with newspaper and magazine reports on science.

Sometimes information gets a little less nuanced when travelling from the original journal article to the university press release to the popular press article. Often it gets a lot less nuanced and completely loses its context, if it is not made to conclude the exact opposite. (Fortunately in this case the popular press article turned out fairly accurate, if less than complete.)

[NobodyInParticular]

I think you may be confusing your plastics.

The ingredient bisphenol A is used in some polycarbonate plastics (recycling numbers 3 and 7).

If you would like to research journal articles, go to PubMed, search for "bisphenol a toxicity", then click on "Reviews". Apparently there is some risk that low doses of bisphenol A from canned food linings, like the isoflavones produced by some plants that we eat, may have undesirable effects on our health.

Soda bottles, on the other hand, are made of polyethylene terephthalate (recycling number 1). While soda bottles do leach acetaldehyde, so do plants.