![]() ![]() Gummy candy packaging, and yogurt cup Presence Of High Priority Chemicals Non-food Contact Materials A high toxicity for specific food contactĪrticles for 2 of the 5 Polypropylene samples: Cytotoxicity Two Polypropylene samples were cytotoxic One Polypropylene sample wasĪntiandrogenic**. Oxidative Stress Response* Two of the five Polypropylene samples Test Comment Baseline toxicity The baseline toxicity varied with the product. I have extracted key data and present it in table form below. Polypropylene plastic from a refillable drinking bottle,.Polypropylene was one of the plastics assessed, and 5 samples were used, including: readily available to consumers) and wherever possible, packaging was included, and 20 of the samples had food contact. Safe for bee hives? A chemical analysis of polypropylene The plastics were purchased from retail sources (i.e. I decided to include more information about the study so that readers can make up their own mind as to whether or not they are happy for this plastic to be present in their hives, and if necessary, can conduct further research. Of course bee bodies are smaller than human bodies, their comb and larvae would be in close proximity to the plastic at all times. Furthermore, they proposed that the toxicity of Polypropylene (and some other plastics) depends on their individual chemical composition, which remains unknown to the public, although in the case of Polypropylene, it had lower levels of toxicity than some of the other plastics tested. This variation may be down to differing methods of manufacture. ![]() They found that toxicity is less prevalent in food contact plastics, but not absent, and that plastic toxicity, even by type, can vary. However, a study from 2019 investigated the toxicity of a variety of plastics (34 plastic products) with four or five items per polymer type 1. This may imply the plastic is safe for bees, but I could not find any specific research in this area. Polypropylene is currently approved by the FDA for use with food packaging and storage. What is virgin food grade polypropylene, and is this plastic safe for bees? So what is the plastic in a flow hive? The manufacturers state that it is virgin food grade polypropylene, which is indeed BPA free. Even in humans, there are concerns that BPA can cause serious health issues 2. This must surely be problematical in a hive. This is relevant because BPA is known to leach out of the the plastic. The manufacturers state that the flow hive is BPA (Bisphenol A) free. General preference for natural, breathable materials.Chemical leaching from the plastic super even into natural combs.It's better for the health of bees to make their own combs.Much of the concern around plastics (other than general environmental issues) tends to revolve around: Let's for one moment, ignore the problem of plastic in the wider environment, which is already of grave concern, and consider the impact of plastic on the bees. If you think honey bees are a creature to be exploited, then you may be rubbing your hands with glee at the thought of honey on tap. Here are two extremes: If your primary purpose in keeping bees is not the harvesting of honey, but the nurturing of the bees or pollination service, the flow hive is unlikely to appeal to you. There could be a myriad views on the subject, many of them sparking heated debate. The same goes with Creosote.Īside from this, it probably depends in part, on your reasons for wanting to get into beekeeping in the first place, and your view of honey bees. For example, a tin of Cuprinol may be handy in the garage, but it's not great for painting your bee hives with. At a time when effort is being made to improve honey bee health, many beekeepers are paying taking extra care over the materials used in and around the hive. There is one major issue that seems to unite many beekeepers: plastic in the hive. The 'Flow Hive' is a type of bee hive designed to make the extraction of honey easier and simpler, and in effect, is a Langstroth super with an extractor attached. ![]() Flow Hive - Is There A Problem With Plastic? ![]()
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