When carbon meets polymers...

[Chronik Fatigue]

I remember reading somewhere that the plastic bongs are really bad because when carbon molecules come in contact with polymers they react and create some crazy carcinogen (possibly some type of chloride). Has anybody heard of this or know exactly what the molecule it creates is called?

 

[phase_dancer]

The concern involves the conditions at which the smoke is generated, and the reactivity potential of the plastics.

Basically, plastics burn, and the products are likely to be toxic - possibly carcinogenic. This is particularly relevant to using plastic water hose for the bong stem. The hot embers or smoke particles travelling down the stem will likely burn the plastic, and chemicals in the smoke may also react with the plastic, forming all sorts of compounds.

Any of these could be carcinogenic, but until research is done on these types of bongs and the compounds produced, we can really only speculate.

 

[Diacetylus]

Every single time I smoked out of a plastic makeshift coca-cola bong, I had shitty experiences with weed. It might have been just a stupid coincidence. But, I never really liked the fact that I could be possibly smoking metled plastics anyways.

 

[melburn_madnesss]

its funny thats how most under 18s smoke, healthy !

 

[BigTrancer]

As P_D said, it's mostly a concern where you have a plastic *stem*. If the stem is metal then the coals will go into water and be extinguished well before they come into contact with plastic.

BigTrancer