What's new

How big of a danger are metals really?

D

Disguised

I have always been interested in organic soil, and I would like to be doing more of it. But lately I have been a little disheartened by comments I see repeatedly made on the hydro forums. I keep seeing people say that "I don't grow organic because I don't want to smoke Heavy Metals".

So I thought I would ask the experts, how big of a danger is the metal content of organic products? Do companies have to divulge the metal content of their products?

Is this just more stoner rhetoric?
 
Stoned Crow

Stoned Crow

Member
Disguised said:
I have always been interested in organic soil, and I would like to be doing more of it. But lately I have been a little disheartened by comments I see repeatedly made on the hydro forums. I keep seeing people say that "I don't grow organic because I don't want to smoke Heavy Metals".

So I thought I would ask the experts, how big of a danger is the metal content of organic products? Do companies have to divulge the metal content of their products?

Is this just more stoner rhetoric?
Click to expand...

Are these the same people who measure the "Heavy Metals" in every bite of food they eat, drop of liquid they drink, and gram of puff they smoke? If these are the same people, I would love to meet them......:grouphug::grouphug: SC
 
D

Disguised

I have even seen an ICMag mentor post this so I just thought I would ask organic growers what they think about it.
 
D

Disguised

oh they didn't really give any specifics on how they know organics contain heavy metals, they just kind of said as if it were common knowledge :) Which is why I brought it up.
 
NUG-JUG

NUG-JUG

Member
There are high levels of metals in almost all hydro nutes. If I'm growing using my own mix then I can choose things lower in heavy metals. Hydro..no choice...huff it down, then pull out your wallet again. Check out this site it gives info on ALL nutrient companies and metal levels. It's a Fertilizer Product Database.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/is/fert/

edit:not all nutes are on there some are missing\pending.
 
Zendo

Zendo

Member
I think you would have to have that member come on here and explain it to us, as that seems like a very wild statement..Otherwise it'll just end up being a hydro v. soil thread, and go nowhere..

You would have to compare all of the heavy metals in said hydro growers chemicals and bottled nutes vs the heavy metals in my seed meals and mineral mixes..I'm guessing said user has not tested heavy metals in organic nongmo seed meals, and such.. All of the food you eat has heavy metals in it, it's just all at acceptable levels, and I'm guessing, just guessing, that the level of heavy metals in my organic soil/seed/mineral mix is well below that same acceptable level..


Sounds like a lot of the stuff you hear the 'bro's' talking about , while standing in front of the chem section of the hydro shop..
 
NUG-JUG

NUG-JUG

Member
Heavy Metals are important to consider imo. Just be skeptical about what the "bros" say around the hydro section.
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
Don't use Alaskan fish fertilizer.......Use fish hydrolysate.
They "cook" the fish and that concentrates the now global metal pollution in fish. That's just one thing to consider if you use fish products.
Oh,and don't use soil that's been used as a target practice embankment.....
 
J

JackTheGrower

And we don't even flush our plants.

Say how do they make chelated metals into hydroponic solutions?

I would assume metals are present in soil. In fact they are listed as micro-nutrients.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_nutrition

So yes what you read is correct but how we get them is the true story.

For example I add rice and get copper. Now we eat rice.

So this example and that someone suggests that plant nutrients are bad.. Well ask them how long they have to flush to get good tasting produce next time..

My flush time is zero minutes.

There is no doubt that we need to be aware of our medium. It is best that we use wholesome materials we can understand and avoid commercial products all together.
You see at the most fundamental level the ions for Nitrogen, for example, are the same as chemically made ions. So at the most fundamental level nutrients are nutrients.
Still in Organic Soil how we get there is what it's all about. Any Monkey can mix a liquid.

I will bet you this.. That no one checks for radioactivity in materials they buy. We should.

Not only can some "Chemical" sources such as petroleum which is used to make chemical fertilizers folks use in hydroponics be radioactive some organic sources of minerals can have radioactive particles too.

No one is immune to problems but if I can grow fine cannabis with ground coffee and rice.. Can Organics be that bad?

Have a long read on plant nutrients.. natural and unnatural.

Be well..
 
J

JackTheGrower

Oh and we do have access to soil testing through the Agricultural departments in many areas of the USA and On-line.

Better to be safe than sorry.. Test your soil for things.. Any soil can have problems and so can liquid solutions in the hands of monkeys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_test
 
D

Disguised

Thanks for the replies! I am definitely doing some reading on this. Micro-nutrients weren't really my concern, it's more things like lead and mercury. Here is an article I found via google on the subject.

Rusted Roots - Is organic agriculture polluting our food with heavy metals? http://www.slate.com/id/2198756
 
I

IwannatokeNbone

Member
dont worry to much about metals. the average modern person via teflon cooking material, drinking out of plastic bottles etc etc etc it is said ever 5-10 years bascially eats a cell phone worth of plastics n metals. get into flushing.................
 
I

igrowone

Well-known member
Veteran
interesting thread, may be another reason for vaping
i would suspect vaping in a good vaporizer would be nearly heavy metal free
 
E

EatMoGrass

Member
I believe that mercury may begin to vaporize at a lower point than thc. And my girls are only exposed to reggae music, no heavy metal for them.:)
 
I

igrowone

Well-known member
Veteran
i had forgotten about mercury, it is lower than most other metals
but i see it is over 600f for mercury's boiling point
however, other mercury compounds may be different in this regard
 
I

igrowone

Well-known member
Veteran
EatMoGrass said:
I was just going by those old youtube videos about mercury fillings. I don't really know if any of that is true.
Click to expand...

this is a legitimate concern, liquid mercury will vaporize at temps below its boiling point, you just get lower amounts
higher temps, such as burning in pipe or joint, would likely give you more
 
J

JackTheGrower

We do need to understand Cannabis is used for toxin clean ups. The plant naturally takes up toxins.

So it is best to make your own soil and maintain it with natural and safe materials.

I avoid commercial fertilizers like a plague. I mean do they really know about every scoop or cup of material they sell? I doubt it.

We can't help being exposed to toxins. We have heavy metals in our water. We can reduce our risks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top