Yepper Jim you are correct about chlorine being volatile in
fact among the
non-metals only fluorine is more chemically active. What
concerns me is the
chlorides and chlorates which may occur.

Drinking water is chlorinated at about 0.3-0.5 mg/l (1 mg/l = 1
part per million, so this is 1/3 to 1/2 parts chlorine per
million parts water). That's still enough to taste or smell.

To contrast, one of the standard fertilizers I use for my trees
contains 0.1% Chlorine, I dilute the fertilizer a bit, but . . .
The fertilizer also contains nitrogen, phosphate, potash,
calcium, magnesium, boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese,
molybdenum, sodium, and zinc in percentages ranging from 9.0%
down to 0.00015%. You would NOT want it in your drinking water.
But my trees seem to like it. Your drinking water with its small
amount of chlorine would be a simple chemical compound in
comparison.

Also long term effects on humans and on bonsais are very
different due to the life span between the two

Well, the potential for human damage from chlorine may even be
greater because of the carcinogenic compounds that can sometimes
be formed when chlorine reacts with some organic materials in the
water. This is a subject of some current controversy.

The physiologic differences between plants and people simply
cannot be compared; neither can the life spans of two such
disparate organisms. I can see no relationship between either
and chlorine in drinking water.

(I should have the grace of aging that these trees do)

Well, we get heart rot, cankers, borers, and bacterial, viral,
and fungal diseases just like trees (we call them different
things). And an old, rotten tree doesn't seem to me to be dying
too gracefully; when trees get sick, Ma Nature simply forgets
about them and lets them be attacked by everything virulant in
the neighborhood.

and this is just my thoughts on chlorine.

Well, _I_ wouldn't worry about chlorine in drinking water and
your bonsai (note: NOT bonsais). But if you do, just let the
water stand for a bit. No biggie.

There are worse things to worry about, so save your concern for
them.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++