Old rubber tires degrade over time and leach harmful chemicals into the soil.If you’ve decided that you definitely want to plant a container garden in an old tire, try these tips:
- Keep it from contaminating the soil underneath it by laying it down flat on wood or bricks to prop the tire off the ground.
- Line the inside with plastic to keep the soil away from the tire walls.
urbanfarmonline.com
Due to their heavy metal and other pollutant content, tires pose a risk for the ( leaching) of toxins into the groundwater when placed in wet soils. Research has shown that very little leaching occurs when shredded tires are used as light fill material; however, limitations have been put on use of this material; each site should be individually assessed determining if this product is appropriate for given conditions. [15]
Ecotoxicity may be a problem. Studies show that zinc, heavy metals, a host of vulcanization and rubber chemicals leach into water from tires. Shredded tire pieces leach much more, creating a bigger concern, due to the increased surface area on the shredded pieces. Many organisms are sensitive, and without dilution, contaminated tire water has been shown to kill some organisms.
wikipedia
If you’re planting a vegetable, like potatoes or tomatoes, then you might have to worry about chemicals leaching into the soil from the tires.
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According to the Editor-In-Chief at Mother Earth News, the answer is yes, tires do pose a long-term health risk.
Short-term, yes, tire planters are OK, although the soil in black tire planters will probably get hotter than most plants would prefer. Long-term, no, because the tire rubber will slowly biodegrade and release zinc, carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and other toxic compounds into your soil.
The final answer? Well, I looked all over the ‘Net and found differing opinions on this. I went to several gardening forums, read articles, the whole nine yards. And, I don’t have an answer.
Half of the things I read say yes, old tires are safe because they’re “old”, so most if not all of the chemicals and “off-gassing” is gone. The other half said “No, don’t use tires for vegetables”, because they’re always going to leach.
thegreenestdollar.com |
