*DEBUNKED* Toxic Levels of Lead in Black Rubber Feed Bowl Water, 30 mg/L, 2000 Times EPA Limits

[The Birb King]

Ok well I'm just gonna keep using the bowls since nothing is proven. I'm fine, my birds are fine, and it doesn't make much sense anyway for them to put toxic stuff in a bowl used for animal feed.

 

[Life of Eric]

Ok well I'm just gonna keep using the bowls since nothing is proven. I'm fine, my birds are fine, and it doesn't make much sense anyway for them to put toxic stuff in a bowl used for animal feed.

The risk isn't them adding anything, its the existing lead content in recycled rubber and not knowing the source of the rubber used in some of the bowls.

 

[boyo]

and it doesn't make much sense anyway for them to put toxic stuff in a bowl used for animal feed.

I mean, they are not adding lead just for fun. Why it makes sense to add lead is it makes the rubber more flexible and makes the manufacturing process easier.

For instance there is lead discovered in another rubber product, the rubber mulch they use in children's playgrounds despite it not making sense to put lead on things that children will roll around and play on since lead is a neuro toxin that especially affects the mental development of children:

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1SD20X/

It may "makes sense" in economic terms for the manufacturer, but that wouldn't necessarily "make sense" health wise for the end consumer. They would just be kind of counting on the fact that you won't have the money, time, or energy to find out, and they don't seem to have an obligation to disclose this

 

[BantyChooks]

I agree that there needs to be independent and scientific testing of a wide sample of these bowls.
Fortex is the brand of mine, and it is made in USA. How would it compare against a Chinese made bowl?
I do not have the resources to purchase a variety of bowls and test them all accurately for lead content.
If anyone knows someone at a university lab that wants to take on the project, that might be the best solution.

No promises, but I'll reach out to some of my friends at a local university and see how many favours I can call in.

 

[Al Gerhart]

There isn't any question that lead and lots of other heavy metals are used in auto tires and plastics and have been for a very long time.

It ought not be a surprise the same heavy metals will be found in shredded tires. The studies I looked up in just a few minutes used xrf guns which are incredibly expensive and accurate and other high quality scanning tech. People don't take chances with methods and results in published studies; academia types can be ruthless and brutal if a hint of a lack of credibility is found.

Some of the studies found that the quantity of heavy metal varied in samples but why would it matter, the fact that it can be present ought to settle the discussion.

I'm the last guy to try to panic over small risks but if you know the base material contains heavy metals then unless you have been sucking on lead paint chips for the last forty years this isn't a difficult decision.

Repeat after me campers.... plastics and rubber don't belong in feeders or waterers.

 

[NameIwish]

No need to be a &%$*.

Jeeze, you are awfully sensitive. Didn't you notice the in my 'nomination' comment?

It was meant as a bit of humor. I see over sixty posts - a number of which appear to be people taking your first warning to heart.

My wife is always 'announcing' stuff she reads on FB or some such. Invariably, when I ask "Have you verified that information," the answer is "no."

Then, about half or more of the time, a bit of research confirms or debunks whatever initial conclusion her FB or CHAT room declaration may have been.

If you think about it for a while, these black bowls have been around for - over fifty years or more. Likely millions sold just this year. Given the shorter life spans of many of the farm animals treated to feed and water in such bowls and the symptoms of lead poisoning in the young, It sure would seem that it would have been more likely that your grandfather discovered lead in these bowls than some Internet Influence'r you found in 2024.

That you have tried to delete your post or edit it is admirable, as is your posting your more recent testing results - after all absent replication, there is no value in the conclusion.

That you have learned, and called our attention to the fact that retracting a post is far more difficult than is posting a post, may prove helpful to others considering sharing some click bait they got caught up in.

I doubt I'm actually such a "&%$*." But, one often never knows how he is perceived unless he can read his obituary.

Keep a sense of humor, it helps.

 

[Life of Eric]

Jeeze, you are awfully sensitive. Didn't you notice the in my 'nomination' comment?

It was meant as a bit of humor. I see over sixty posts - a number of which appear to be people taking your first warning to heart.

My wife is always 'announcing' stuff she reads on FB or some such. Invariably, when I ask "Have you verified that information," the answer is "no."

Then, about half or more of the time, a bit of research confirms or debunks whatever initial conclusion her FB or CHAT room declaration may have been.

If you think about it for a while, these black bowls have been around for - over fifty years or more. Likely millions sold just this year. Given the shorter life spans of many of the farm animals treated to feed and water in such bowls and the symptoms of lead poisoning in the young, It sure would seem that it would have been more likely that your grandfather discovered lead in these bowls than some Internet Influence'r you found in 2024.

That you have tried to delete your post or edit it is admirable, as is your posting your more recent testing results - after all absent replication, there is no value in the conclusion.

That you have learned, and called our attention to the fact that retracting a post is far more difficult than is posting a post, may prove helpful to others considering sharing some click bait they got caught up in.

I doubt I'm actually such a "&%$*." But, one often never knows how he is perceived unless he can read his obituary.

Keep a sense of humor, it helps.

I'll stand by my original reply to you.
I was in the middle of trying to undo a bunch of stuff and your 2 cents were not needed.
Look in the mirror, maybe you really are a ....

 

[The Birb King]

The risk isn't them adding anything, its the existing lead content in recycled rubber and not knowing the source of the rubber used in some of the bowls.

True, but my rubber buckets grow a lot of algae, and I don't know if that would grow if the water was toxic.

 

[Molpet]

True, but my rubber buckets grow a lot of algae, and I don't know if that would grow if the water was toxic.

Apparently some do and help remove it
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211926421002228

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Apparently some do and help remove it
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211926421002228

View attachment 3817537

Huh, that's pretty cool on its own!