trashcan leach fix?

[usfpaul82]

So i am worried that the plastic trash can I am using to store my ato water might be leaching PO4 into the water. I wanted to know if anyone knows of anything I can use to line the inside of the can with to stop this from happening. Wether it be some kind of plastic sheeting or paint or anything? I want to try to keep using this can as it is out in the open next to my tank and it matches the stand. If there is nothing, I would obviously have to replace it with something else but wanted to see if anyone has any ideas first.

Thanks

[badonkadonk]

You could try acid-washing the can, maybe wipe it down several times with 10% muriatic. Vinegar probably wouldn't be aggressive enough if the PO4 is truely embedded and leaching from the plastic. How about putting a light over the bin and seeing if you can culture algae on the sides of the can? That would remove the PO4 before it can get into the water, then you can wipe down the sides of the can now and then. (you can add a couple percent tank water too for traces of N & other nutrients to aid the algal growth). I think its a good thing to have some biofilm on surfaces to biologically "pre-treat" everything that touches system water.