Foam safety?

[Josh H.]

Hi,
I'm new on here and have noticed that alot of you use sprayable foam (great stuff) to form backgrounds. I know that zoos have been using fiberglass and inert epoxy resins to make nontoxic backgrounds for years, but I've never heard of the foam. Has anyone done any toxicity test and how long have people been successtully using them?
~Josh

[Cindy Dicken]

Josh,
there has been some controversy with using the spray foam.
There are several one component polyurethane foams on the market, Great Stuff being one, as well as Handi Foam, and Beckett's. If you go to the Great Stuff website, they claim that it can be used in pond and waterfalls to seal leaks, which I find interesting due to the fact that I do not believe it contains any UV inhibitors. We have tried all of the ones I have mentioned, and they all have advantages and disadvantages. No matter which one we use, they all get the same treatment, once they have fully cured, we completely cover all exposed surfaces of the spray foam in silicone, from there we will either apply coco bedding if it is a back ground, or we will apply the Quick Dry Mortar, if it is a water feature.
I know that some of the hobbyist in Europe use a spray foam, and they have probably been using it for a while, seems like they are "light years" ahead of us in this hobby.
I seem to recall a couple of years ago, that Marcos O. deciphered the MSDS for Great Stuff, I don't recall what the conclusion was though.