Could Polyester Filter Socks & Floss be Poisoning your Aquarium ?

TbyZ · Oct 16, 2017

I read of a hobbyist’s triton ICP test result & it showed high antimony (Sb) levels.

Triton’s advice was to look for -
1. Plastic parts (no silicone) in contact with the water, for example, green tubes
2. Trace Element overdose / contamination
3. Contaminated salts
4. Food

I was intrigued by the “Plastic parts” suggestion & looked into this.

Two papers describe Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27192700

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17707454

Antimony is used as a catalyst to create polyethylene terephthalate (PET.)

What has this to do with filter socks & floss?.... you may ask?

Filter socks & floss are typically made of polyester.

"There are many different types of polyester, but the type most often produced for use in textiles is polyethylene terephthalate, abbreviated PET.
The majority of the world’s PET production – about 60% – is used to make fibers for textiles; and about 30% is used to make bottles." https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/antimony-in-fabrics/

Could using polyester filter socks & floss be leaching antimony into your aquarium water?

LobsterOfJustice · Oct 16, 2017

Was the reefer who reported the high levels having any actual issues? Just because a level is high doesn’t mean its cause for concern. And considering the high number of people using filter socks... don’t think you can really blame many issues on them.

I would assume any residual contaminants from the manufacturing process would wash out after the first use.

TbyZ · Oct 16, 2017

LobsterOfJustice said:
Was the reefer who reported the high levels having any actual issues? Just because a level is high doesn’t mean its cause for concern. And considering the high number of people using filter socks... don’t think you can really blame many issues on them.

I would assume any residual contaminants from the manufacturing process would wash out after the first use.

He reported "4 year old lps ejected heads and melted away. It showed I had a very high level of antimony which gave me some insight as all main parameters were spot on."

I looked at the other 3 options also.
From my research I would rule out
#2, unless many other trace elements were also high, & he said everything else was"spot on".
#4, storing food in "enamel vessels and cans" seems to be the only possible antimony contamination mechanism
#3 is a possibility, if you bought a large batch of salt that was contaminated with antimony.