Everything You Need To Know About Food-Grade Glue For Plastic

Last Updated on September 8, 2024 by Sara Rose

Learning about food-grade glue for plastic is important in aquaponics because you will likely be using it to connect your PVC pipes.  Since your pipes will be in direct contact with your fish and vegetables, it is important to make sure you use food-grade glue for plastic.

This article will teach you everything you need to know about how to choose which glue to use.  Whenever you are working with plants and animals, it is important to consider the safety of the products they will come into contact with.   

While humans have created many incredibly useful products, they are often made with chemicals.  These chemicals can leach into our food.  This can be dangerous if humans or animals ingest the chemicals.

This is the reason they invented food-grade products.  Food grade simply means that it is safe to use with food products.  Always be sure to check your labels and know which products you are working with.

Continue reading this article now to learn about food-grade glue for plastic!

All About Food-Safe Glue

Before we discuss the details of food-safe glue, let us understand the reasons we use glue in aquaponics.  The main area you use glue with is to connect your PVC pipes.   PVC pipes come in all different diameters and lengths.  

It is an easy material to cut and do custom builds with.  Once you cut your pipes, you then need to connect them to whatever design you need.  To secure the connections, people use PVC pipe glue.  

It is important to use food-grade glue for plastic in this case.  Unfortunately, not all adhesives are safe for humans to come into contact with.  This is why the FDA (Food and drug administration) created a standard to certify certain glues as food safe.  

Learn more about Perfect Guide On How To Use Paint For Pvc Pipe Uv Protection

Section 175.105 of the FDA manual specifies how to use glue safely.  One aspect to pay attention to is the amount of glue you use.  The more glue you use, the risk of it leeching becomes higher.  

So, always be sure to only use the exact amount of glue needed to secure your pipes.  Typically, the glue to connect PVC pipes is called PVC cement.  To apply the glue, you need to use a primer and then PVC cement.

This glue is extremely toxic.  It can even burn your hand if you touch it.  This is why you should always wear gloves when applying glue to your PVC pipes.  

It is also not good to inhale.  If you have worked with this glue before, you may remember the very intense smell.  Wear a mask to protect your lungs when gluing your pipes. 

Is Food Safe Glue Waterproof?

When the glue is wet, it is the most toxic.  After it dries, it should not harm your water system.  The most important thing is to not use too much! 

We cannot stress this more.  If you over glue, it can pose a risk to your fish and plants.  

However, the special thing about PVC cement is that it is waterproof.  This is what makes it suitable for use with PVC pipes.  

It is important to note that not all PVC pipes are food-grade.  You need to make sure to use UPVC.  This is the safest PVC pipe for humans.  

All other PVC pipes contain a dangerous chemical called BPA.  According to the University of Missouri, “exposure to BPA during human development could be damaging to behavioral and cognitive traits that are unique to each sex and important in reproduction.”

So, how about other types of food-grade glue for plastic?  If you have another project that isn’t with PVC pipes, you can use other food-safe glue.  

One of the best food-grade glue for plastic is epoxy.  This is a great glue to use when you need to fix something.  Make sure to buy food-grade epoxy.

Epoxy can tolerate very high and low temperatures.  It ranges from minus 70 degrees Celsius to 140 degrees celsius! This means you can use it anywhere around the world.  

The other nice thing about epoxy is that you can use it with ceramics and metals.  Overall, it is a great food-safe glue to have on hand. 

Other Food Safe Adhesives

There are also agricultural-grade adhesives that you can use.  Typically, these are used to put labels on food products.  But, it can also be used for fixing plastic, metals, and ceramics just like epoxy.  

Another food-grade glue for hot glue.  This glue is typically used for arts, crafts, and school projects.  It is even safe for kids to use.  Of course, be careful using it because it is very hot. 

To use this glue, you need a special hot glue gun that heats the glue.  Once the glue is melted you can apply it to your project.  

Be sure to check the labels of every glue that you buy.  It will specify if it is food-grade glue for plastic.  If you do not see this certification listed, it is best to avoid it.  

There is no point risking your health to save a few bucks.  Take your time and spend a little more to purchase a high-quality, food-grade glue for plastic.  

When you are doing aquaponics, you are responsible for living creatures.  It is a good idea to limit the use of any chemicals because they can harm fish and plants.  As a sustainability expert, I highly recommend going all-natural if possible.  

Of course, glue for your PVC pipes cannot be avoided.  Just be sure to apply it safely and correctly.  Be sure to observe your growing medium and water.  If you see bits of plastic in the water, you know you have a problem.  

At that point, you should stop immediately and re-do your piping.  Now you should know a lot more about food-grade glue for plastic and why it is important.  

Feel free to comment and ask questions below! 

Read more about: Easy Ways For Growing Strawberries In A Horizontal PVC Pipe!

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