Carbon - use in growing ??

[Katog]

We have a private water supply filtered from hill stream water through sand then carbon which got changed recently after ?years.
I kept some bags of it - it looks like black sand/grit.
Do you think it could be of use either in the soil or potting mixes?
Perhaps it would be harmful?
Any suggestions?

[VirginVegGrower]

Why don't you ask the carbon experts, Carbon Gold?

[Thelma Sanders]

VVG you said what I thought LOL

[bearded bloke]

Why don't you ask the carbon experts, Carbon Gold?

Methinks it would be the wrong type of carbon for his/her expertise,this is a hard carbon rather than the soft carbon that forms charcoal

Do you think it could be of use either in the soil or potting mixes?
Perhaps it would be harmful?

Do you know EXACTLY what the carbon was filtering ? I ask this as the grains will be coated with it,maybe chlorine (unlikely from a hill stream I would think) or it may be any number of micro organisms.

[bearded bloke]

Further to the above,I been gurgling & found ................

I did write to the rhs to see if it could be incorporated into the compost heap but they recommended not as they might contain metals.

I never gave traces of metal a thought,granted this was in reference to Brit@ water filters but the principle is the same


Taken from : How can I reuse or recycle … water filter cartridges? | How can I recycle this?

[VirginVegGrower]

Methinks it would be the wrong type of carbon for his/her expertise,this is a hard carbon rather than the soft carbon that forms charcoal



Do you know EXACTLY what the carbon was filtering ? I ask this as the grains will be coated with it,maybe chlorine (unlikely from a hill stream I would think) or it may be any number of micro organisms.

Still carbon though innit? They should know!

[Aberdeenplotter]

These filters are used to ermhh filter out all sorts of nasties including the most damaging forms of e coli which can leach in to private domestic water suppies from run off from agricultural land etc. To me it would be like playing russian roulette to use it in your vegetable beds without sterilising it in some way first.

[alldigging]

These filters are used to ermhh filter out all sorts of nasties including the most damaging forms of e coli which can leach in to private domestic water suppies from run off from agricultural land etc. To me it would be like playing russian roulette to use it in your vegetable beds without sterilising it in some way first.

LIke spread it out and steaming it with a wallpaper stripper?

[Aberdeenplotter]

I honestly don't know how it could be achieved

[bearded bloke]

Industrially recycled filter (hard) carbon is heated in a non oxygen atmosphere (to prevent the ignition & combustion of the carbon) to between 700 & 1000 degrees the fumes given off during heating are continuously extracted & burnt,after cooling the inert dust is cleaned off & the carbon is ready to be reused.

[bearded bloke]

Still carbon though innit? They should know!

Well I dare say that as carbon is in the thread title it will be looked at

[bearded bloke]

LIke spread it out and steaming it with a wallpaper stripper?

Depending on what it has been filtering even the fumes in the steam may be harmful,as in my first post you need to know exactly before you can think of what to use it for or how to sterilise it

[binley100]

My Grandad used to sterilise the soil from his gh by building a fire . laying a sheet of corrugated iron on it then spreading his soil on top ........

[SarzWix]

My dad's water specialist people said no to him when he asked for the reasons that AP listed. They took the lot away for recycling. Dad was thinking of digging it in to improve drainage.

[Katog]

Wow - lots to think about there! I think I will sprinkle it around the non edible plants - shrubs and flowers and forget about using it for veg - thanks for all the advice etc.
Kate