Some "Food-safe" Bags Toxic to Fish

[wpeterson]

In a study recently published in the journal Chemosphere, scientists exposed orchid dottybacks (Pseudochromis fridmani) to two FDA food-grade polyethylene bags sourced from different manufacturers. Dottybacks were also exposed to glass and teflon.



What they found was startling and should concern the aquarium industry.

Dottybacks exposed to one of the polyehylene suffered decreased short and long term survival because the bags were leaching high levels of nonylphenol. The water in the bags accumulated 163ppb nonylphenol within 48 hours, which is 23x higher than the EPA deems safe for marine life (short term exposure). 60% of the test subjects died after 48 hours, and all died within eight days even after being removed from the bags. The researchers measured high body concentrations of nonylphenol in these fish (upwards of 400ppb), indicating this chemical is likely the toxic agent. Furthermore, the resultant toxicity of the bags from each manufacturer varied dramatically.​

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/study-finds-that-plastic-bags-are-toxic-to-fish

 

[jonmos75]

Well thanks for the scare @wpeterson Saturday before I got to your house I picked up an Orchid Dottyback from Aquatic Collections and he had to cruise in the bag until midnight with oxygen and then when I got home acclimated him and he seams to be ok but I will keep a close eye on him...

 

[wpeterson]

:-/

 

[jonmos75]

I'm sure the fish will be fine just will keep a close eye on him... But thanks for the info

Jon

 

[sfsuphysics]

Wow, this reminds me of the whole bottled water scare that started a few years back, now I won't store water in a plastic bottle if I can avoid it, even if it says BPA free or whatever that chemical stuff that neuters you is

 

[Coral reefer]

Yeah, plastic is the new lead

 

[sfsuphysics]

Makes me think of that 100g "food safe" plastic container holding water in my greenhouse

 

[rygh]

Note that the nasty chemicals were not so much from the plastic bags directly,
but from the Nonylphenol coating, used as a slip agent to make the bags easier to open.
Which interestingly, means it will likely leach out very fast.

Washed plastic containers should not have that problem.

But I do hope the LFS owners might take notice of that study.
Trick is to find the right bags, not eliminate plastic completely.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Well at least there's not a 25 cent tax on plastic bags we put fish/corals in... yet