The Serious Health Dangers of Potting & Seed Raising Mix
Important Life Saving Information
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR GARDENERS
Your health may be at risk from bagged products like seed raising mix, compost, potting mix and animal manures.
These products contain LIVE bacterias which if inhaled can cause serious conditions like Legionnaires’ disease. The bags of potting mix, seed raising mix, compost and animal manures create an ideal breeding environment for all kinds of bacteria and should ALWAYS be treated with the upmost caution.
Legionnaires’ diease bacteria are often found in dried out mixes or poor quality non-organic mixes.
Here in New Zealand we have just had a timely reminder with an outbreak of Legionnaires’ diease in Canterbury from people using such mixes.
Legionnaires disease is a serious type of pneumonia. Symptoms include a dry cough, high fever, chills, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, chest pains, headaches, excessive sweating, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Anyone suffering ANY symptoms after using any bagged gardening mixes should seek medical advice ASAP.
What you can do to protect yourself
How you open and move these types of bags is important. If you rip/tear open the bags or throw them around, like dropping them onto the floor.
You release a cloud of tiny particles which cna contain harmful bacteria. these particles can be so tiny it is hard to see them. But, they can be inhaled immediately or they can attach themselves to your clothes and when the dislodge they can then be inhaled.
Once inhaled they attach themselves to your respiratory linings and then multiply and cause serious health problems. In fact, it is not umcommon to these health problems to be FATAL.
RULE1
Always wear a disposable mask when opening or moving dry bags of seed raising mix, potting mix, compost mix or animal manures
RULE2
NEVER use such mixes indoors, especially in enclosed spaces like potting sheds
RULE3
Drag your bag of mix to a safe, open airy space where you can use it. Do this before opening it.
RULE4
NEVER tear or rip open bags of any mix.
RULE5
Cut open a SMALL area of one corner of the top of the bag. the hole should be just big enough to fit a hose or watering can nozzle inside the bag.
Carefully dampen down the surface of the mix, using a gentle spray of water. Don’t flood the mix, the idea is to prevent the tiny particle cloud from forming.
RULE6
Use a sharp knife or scissors to gently remove the seal from one side the the other.
Please be safe, gardening is meant to be a peaceful passtime, make sure it is and protect yourself from any dangers.
I hope this has been useful. Happy Gardening!!
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