Food safety of plastics in contact with water for plants

randomhuman

Hello,

Does anybody know whether the food safety of plastics that store or transport water that plants use is an important consideration (if the plants are intended to be eaten, obviously)? In other words, if the plastics leech into the water or something can they be absorbed by the plants?

The reason I ask is that I want to print some pots and hose connectors and stuff at shapeways.com for use in hydroponic and automated irrigation systems, but the materials they use are not certified food safe.

I've posted on their forums as well but I'm guessing they won't have much knowledge of how plants work (much like myself!)

looksee

There are lots of things that come into contact with plants that are not food safe. For example you can grow tomatoes in grow bags - roots and water in contact with plastic. Quite apart from the fact that plants grow in soil, which isn't in itself food safe! If you check up a site selling hydroponics supplies they do not appear to say anything about the equipment being, or needing to be, food safe. Any food grown indoors is watered by standard hose or plastic pipe.