Bouncy Black Balls
Out of context: Reply #5
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"With the recent news stories about polycarbonate plasctic containing harmful chemicals that slowly leach out of the plastic into water, this makes me wonder whether unexpected side effects like this were carefully considered before the decision was made to use the plastic balls. Specifically, I hope that these questions were answered before they decided to use the plastic balls:
1) What is the photodegredation rate of the plastic, and what breakdown products can be released into the water as UV light breaks apart the polymer?
2) HDPE plastic is inherently white--think milk jugs--so what is the black pigment used, is it non-toxic, and at what rate will it be released into the water?
3) What are the unexpected consequences of the water warming from the black plastic heating up in sunlight? Specifically, how will this affect the rate that chlorine evaporates out of the water? Will increased water temperatures, loss of chlorination, and a large unlit surface area on the underside of the balls lead to growth of harmful bacteria?
I'm not suggesting that any of these things are cause for concern, unless the decision makers didn't consider them before using the plastic balls. It's always the unexpected consequences that are the most harmful."
Posted by: Ryan McCarthy | June 10, 2008 at 12:38 PM