Heavy Metals in Fertilizers

[BerndV]

I'm going to do the math on all products to see the TRUE figures instead of someone spreading rumors because they don't like H&G.

Nobody is "spreading rumors because they don't like H&G." That is unless Humboldt Wholesale believes the Washington State Department of Agriculture doesn't like them. The response from HW makes no sense. The heavy metal analysis is is measured in ppm and therefore allows consumers to make valid comparisons between similar products.

Most liquid fertlizers are concentrated to the limits of solubility because liquid is heavy and therefore expensive to ship. The notion that H&G is more "concentrated" than GH , Canna, or anyone else is basically a marketing pitch.

 

[ganjasuiteseat]

Nobody is "spreading rumors because they don't like H&G." That is unless Humboldt Wholesale believes the Washington State Department of Agriculture doesn't like them. The response from HW makes no sense. The heavy metal analysis is is measured in ppm and therefore allows consumers to make valid comparisons between similar products.

Most liquid fertlizers are concentrated to the limits of solubility because liquid is heavy and therefore expensive to ship. The notion that H&G is more "concentrated" than GH , Canna, or anyone else is basically a marketing pitch.

 

[BerndV]

Below is a link that discusses the problem of heavy metal accumulation in cannabis. It would appear that cadmium and mercury are the two of most concern. The pertinent information is about halfway down the linked page:

http://www.integralhydro.com/advancednutrients.html

 

[chefro420]

I was looking into organics like guanos , they are not too clean either....

 

[ganjasuiteseat]

I was looking into organics like guanos , they are not too clean either....

holy shit for real.man?that shit is really fucking depressing we killed the planet yall.we being humans.peace

 

[mg75]

about chernobyl
and I quote...

"Plants such as cannabis break down organic pollutants and stabilize metal contaminants by acting as filters or traps. "Hemp is proving to be one of the best phyto-remediative plants we have been able to find," said Slavik Dushenkov, a research scientist with Phytotech.

Research by the Polish Institute of Natural Fibres released in 1995 showed that high levels of heavy metals in soil do not impair cannabis growth, and that yield and fibre quality do not differ from those obtained on regular soils."

I don't think flushing with water (or drip clean / final flush) will remove the absorbed metals. once the plant "ate" them, it keeps it in its fiber. ok for hemp... not for smoking or ingesting.

this is a very important topic and should be made a sticky. even organic soil growers should be aware that they are smoking absorbed metals from the soil and organic nutrients.

 

[Ioni Botani]

Official release from GenHydro on their product Maxi Bloom:

"Hello,
The heavy metals are a bi-product of some of the mined minerals which the Maxi Bloom is derived from. There is actually very little heavy metal content in the product as it is blended with a variety of mineral salts. Some are mined minerals and some are synthesized minerals (which are actually much cleaner than mined minerals and have no impurities). The five heavy metals you mention are typically much higher in any clay soil than they are in Maxi Bloom.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Thanks"

Interesting sentence at the end there....any feedback on this or is it just BS as well?
Thx!

Ion

 

[BerndV]

The problem with GenHydro's response for cannabis growers is that we don't grow in clay soil and marijuana will readily absorb any heavy metals in the growing medium/fertilizer. We can hardly expect them to say that yes, this does present a problem for growing marijuana, so don't use it for that application. This entire subject constitutes one of the "dirty" secrets the nutrient industry would prefer we didn't know or inquire about when it comes to fertilizers used to grow marijuana.

 

[sex_pistils]

So, what is a good fert for soil that doesn't have heavy metals?

 

[phattybudz]

I think this is all relative...

Obviously I'd like to use something which doesn't contain that stuff, but I really doubt it's going to kill me/do irreparable harm.

The largest/longest study done by Tashkin on long-term marijuana use shows less risk of cancer or even a protective effect...

Still a bit troublesome but I'm not going to quit blazing/using GH for the time being...

 

[CrumpleZone]

Heavy metals in cigarette smoke

Heavy metals in cigarette smoke

I thought that maybe they had researched heavy metals in cigarette smoke, so I did some googling and found this, among other interesting articles. While I understand that tobacco and marijuana are very different, the methods by which they absorb and pass heavy metals on to users are probably very similar.

Abstract
Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cataract, but the pathogenic mechanism by which cigarette smoke causes cataract is yet to be completely understood. There has been suggestion that oxidative damage caused by accumulation of Fenton reagents (iron and copper) in the lens can cause lens damage and possibly cataract. To investigate the accuracy of this theory the study was planned. A number of twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided randomly into experimental and control groups. The experimental group of rats were exposed to cigarette smoke for two hours in each day over sixty consecutive days and the controls were treated in identical fashion but only exposed to room air. At the end of the study period, both eyes of all the animals were enucleated and one eye prepared for histopathological examination and the other used for the measurement of metal levels. The lenses of experimental animals showed significantly decreased zinc and increased iron, and calcium concentration relative to those of sham exposed controls. However, no significant difference was found in the copper contents of the lenses of both groups. Distinct histopathological changes such as hyperplasia, hypertrophia, and multilayering of epithelial cells and elevations of calcium concentration detected in the lenses of experimental group animals suggested that the lens damage was a result of in-vivo exposure to tobacco smoke. We propose that increased metal contents in the lens can cause lens damage by the mechanism of oxidative stress through formation of oxygen radicals via metal catalysed Fenton reaction.

 

[Ioni Botani]

I think this is all relative...

Obviously I'd like to use something which doesn't contain that stuff, but I really doubt it's going to kill me/do irreparable harm.

The largest/longest study done by Tashkin on long-term marijuana use shows less risk of cancer or even a protective effect...

Still a bit troublesome but I'm not going to quit blazing/using GH for the time being...

Aye nor I...Innocent until proven Guilty as they say

-ION

 

[cyat]

Berndv I read the same article and I found it super informative I think the heavy metal discussion is important
From what I recall he was talking about the dangers of certain chelates
have you looked into that?

 

[420mt]

Below is a link that discusses the problem of heavy metal accumulation in cannabis. It would appear that cadmium and mercury are the two of most concern. The pertinent information is about halfway down the linked page:

http://www.integralhydro.com/advancednutrients.html

Very Good Info, Thanks berndv

 

[BerndV]

I think this is all relative...

Obviously I'd like to use something which doesn't contain that stuff, but I really doubt it's going to kill me/do irreparable harm.

The largest/longest study done by Tashkin on long-term marijuana use shows less risk of cancer or even a protective effect...

Still a bit troublesome but I'm not going to quit blazing/using GH for the time being...

The risk posed by heavy metals is not necessarily cancer, but rather neurologic, hepatic, pulmonary, and renal pathologies. I'm not trying to persuade but rather inform. Everyone has to make their own decision about whether or not this is a concern.

 

[BerndV]

Berndv I read the same article and I found it super informative I think the heavy metal discussion is important
From what I recall he was talking about the dangers of certain chelates
have you looked into that?

Yes, the problem with the synthetic chelates used in some fertilizers (edta, etc.) is the fact that they remain behind in the root zone and can then chelate heavy metals in the growing medium and aid in their uptake. I do not see a problem with synthetic chelates as long as there are no heavy metals in either the fertilizer or the growing medium, as they are not absorbed by the plant and have no intrinsic health concerns.

 

[BerndV]

So, what is a good fert for soil that doesn't have heavy metals?

I would start with questioning the heavy metal content of the soil itself. Frankly, I would consider coco or hydro if you really want to avoid heavy metals. Regarding choice of fertilizer, I am not here to advocate for any brands, but it appears that Dutch Master and Canna (synthetic) are both good choices. Researching the Washington State, Oregon, and California Ag Dept websites will give you the information you seek. However, it does take a bit of detective work to find specific products.

 

[sex_pistils]

Thanks BurndV. I'd like to say that I found it very disturbing to think that I may be giving myself neurological problems and such by smoking pot. This is the kind of stuff that can reshape the fert industry.

 

[cyat]

Heavy metals definitely have detrimental effects on people
Aluminum has been linked to alzheimers
bad bacteria grow and flourish on heavy metals in our body
we also have a hard time eliminating them from our body (cilantro and food grade d.e. help.)
plants and people are connected
if heavy metals are in our herb I think it will get into our body
H&G nutes having high levels of heavy metals doesn't surprise me some of my plants were always affected in weird ways by these nutes
Berndv this thread brings up some good questions and answers nice job!

 

[phattybudz]

"The risk posed by heavy metals is not necessarily cancer, but rather neurologic, hepatic, pulmonary, and renal pathologies."

Didn't realize this... thanks for the info

Is there some way to test the finished product for heavy metals? I mean I doubt anyone has that kind of equipment handy but... it would be enlightening.