The humble rainwater tank of yesteryear has made a huge revival in recent times. It has become a mark of conservation to buy a tank and connect it to flush the toilet and service the washing machine - plus reduce the strain on town supplies by using this free water for the garden.
Unfortunately tank water is not suitable for drinking !
We live in an age of air pollution and a toxic basket of chemicals - including lead - settles on the roof from which this water is collected. Ideally, the first twenty litres of roof water should be discarded before the flow goes into the tank, but even when this happens the tank water is not safe for drinking.
That raises an interesting question !
The cost of fruit and vegetables has caused many people to invest in a vegetable garden and obviously the pollution that settles on roofs also settles on the surrounding ground.
How safe are vegetables grown in polluted soil ? The cocktail of toxic chemicals that pollutes the air also settles on plants such as lettuce and cabbage, but there is also a danger that root vegetables will absorb toxins from the soil - and make their way into our digestive systems.
The health people who are supposed to be looking after our safety have been silent on this question.
Maybe now would be a good time to ask - why ?
No comments:
Post a Comment