(Newswire.net — January 26, 2015) Belleville, ON — Summer tradition at most residences with young children is playing outdoors, in the yard and with the garden hose. Some kids may even take a drink from it. While this is a fond childhood memory of millions, recent studies suggest there might be a hidden danger to these memories.
Recent reports suggest that might very well be the case. Time magazine covered a report from The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, MI, that showed potential toxins like lead, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins were found in the hose materials. The concern being that these toxins can seep into the water being distributed by these hoses, and therefore any garden, or person or pet that injests the water.
The state of California has attempted to deal with these potential issues. Proposition 65 requires manufacturers to label their garden hose products so consumers know the actual dangers in both the hose and the water that runs through it.
Proposition 65 came as a result of a lawsuit, and garden hoses since this suit have to meet the new high standards. Laboratory tests suggest they are meeting with only limited success. Both old garden hoses, and even some new ones, fail environmental standards and poses some concern. Consumers owning hoses that were manufactured after 2007 are typically free of lead, but due to the flood of product in this niche the other materials must be examined.
The latest NSF approved polyurethane hoses are trending at the moment because of these issues discussed above. A new-comer to the marketplace is the Clear Flow™ Garden Hose and it currently has a 5-star rating on Amazon. It is the only lightweight garden hose available online that is completely NSF drinking water safe; the hose material and the fitting materials. It is a sign of new eco-innovation to come.