Melamine

[ivyleager]

If I remember correctly, melamine is a chemical that is in CYA. It has now been found/identified in the contaminated Menu Foods dog food. One reports stated that it is used as a fertilizer in "other countries". Okay, so now we're going to be hearing how bad CYA is all over again no doubt.

Now for all you chemical guys/gals: what else is melamine use for?

CaryB

[haze_1956]

I believe Melamine is the reagent used to test for CYA levels.

I don't think there is any Melamine in pool water.

[chem geek]

Haze is correct. Melamine is used to precipitate CYA by combining with it to form melamine cyanurate. So it is only used in the CYA test and is not found in the pool.

There is some sort of Cyanuric Acid reducer on the market and we never figured out if it was just melamine or not, but no one uses that on this forum as far as I know.

Richard

[CarlD]

Haze is correct. Melamine is used to precipitate CYA by combining with it to form melamine cyanurate. So it is only used in the CYA test and is not found in the pool.

There is some sort of Cyanuric Acid reducer on the market and we never figured out if it was just melamine or not, but no one uses that on this forum as far as I know.

Richard


Yeah, we are pretty sure it is melamine. Still, the best reducer is dilution.

[waterbear]

Actually, melamine is used in a lot of things, including making dishes and kitchenware! (anyone remember Melmac?) It is considered to be relatively non toxic to humans. Dogs and cats are different that us. Chocolate can kill dogs or cats while grapes/raisins can cause kidney failure. Both macadamia nuts and garlic/onions can cause serious health problems in both cats and dogs. Garlic/onions can cause severe liver damage! You don't see anyone getting upset over these things because they are familiar. Melamine is not a familiar substance to most so it's viewed with suspicion and fear because it can poison pets. So can that box of raisins in you kitchen cabinet but you would rather see you kids eat them instead of a box of candy, right?

[darenjones]

Very interesting facts there... I have 4 cats, and 3 dogs... we don't feed them people food, and thankfully we have not had any of the recalled food in our home... scary times... considering going to the home made recipies...

[CarlD]

I didn't think anyone made melamine dishes in the last 50 years. My mom had them--with 3 sons in the 50's and 60's they were the only durable unbreakables out there--but were they UGLY!

My in-laws have them too. Same generation, similar reasons (kids).

I have not seen them anywhere but garage sales since.

Then again, I haven't been looking!:D

[DavidD]

Ok, so I guess I'll stop dumping the CYA test tube back in the pool once the test is done. Wouldn't want to take a chance even at such a small dilution since the Chihuahua loves drinking out of the water fountain...:eek:

Dave

[waterbear]

Ok, so I guess I'll stop dumping the CYA test tube back in the pool once the test is done. Wouldn't want to take a chance even at such a small dilution since the Chihuahua loves drinking out of the water fountain...:eek:

Dave
NEVER a good idea to jump your test vials back into the pool, no matter what the test. Pour them down the sink or some other suitable place!

[JohnT]

I didn't think anyone made melamine dishes in the last 50 years. My mom had them--with 3 sons in the 50's and 60's they were the only durable unbreakables out there--but were they UGLY!



I have a set of turquoise melamine dishes that I use for camping. They were my grandparents'. Turquoise:eek:

[waterbear]

I didn't think anyone made melamine dishes in the last 50 years. My mom had them--with 3 sons in the 50's and 60's they were the only durable unbreakables out there--but were they UGLY!

My in-laws have them too. Same generation, similar reasons (kids).

I have not seen them anywhere but garage sales since.

Then again, I haven't been looking!:D
A quick search on Google will show you that melamine dishes are alive and well. In fact, Target has 3 pages of them on their website!

[chem geek]

Take a look at this link (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/01/recall.riddle/) where it is now believed that BOTH melamine and cyanuric acid were present in the rice protein and wheat gluten imported from China. Yikes! We know what happens when you combine those two -- you precipitate melamine cyanurate (that's what the CYA pool test is all about) and apparently that's what happened in those unfortunate pets who ate contaminated food.

In this thread (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?p=42112&postcount=8) I wrote about how I asked Taylor how the CYA test could measure 20 ppm CYA since that is the solubility of melamine cyanurate in water. They wrote back that the CYA pool test is buffered at low pH which apparently precipitates this substance since the 20 ppm solubility is only at a pH of 7. So the melamine and cyanuric acid may have been separate in the food, but when these hit the acidic stomach they likely precipitated (after some time -- remember the 30 seconds of mixing in the CYA test) and then blocked the kidneys.

What a horrible, horrible thing. What were these people in China thinking?

Richard

[NWMNMom]

Wow, good to know info! Thanks guys.

I can tell you what they were thinking. Having farmed small grains in the past, I know that higher protein is the make or break of small grains. The chemical apparently "tricks" the test on the sampled product into seeing higher protein than is present. Its also a way to get around minimum requirements. Its a scam, and a deadly one at that. Shame on them.

[haze_1956]

Saw the Melamine/CYA link, pet food issue on the Early Show this morning. Two days after Chem Geek posts here.

Interesting what TV news shows consider important information.

However, if Brittany Spears had been found eating that brand of Dog food, it would have been a lead story !!

[waterbear]

S

However, if Brittany Spears had been found eating that brand of Dog food, it would have been a lead story !!
I think she only eats "Gravy Train":D