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steve
Moderator
 23005 Posts |
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Piskie
Mrs
1584 Posts |
 Posted - 04/03/2010 : 08:27:26
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I heard it the other day and caught it on the BBC news this morning.
Pippa Greenwood was interviewed on the news and whilst, as usual, the media wanted to put a 'scare' on it - thankfully Pippa kept him in check.
I am guilty of misuse of Perlite, which is also dangerous, I don't water it down before using, I just pour it into my compost and get lost in the resulting white powder. I really should know better! |
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grindle
Mrs
13904 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 08:38:59
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I'd not heard it before, but it does sound like it's isolated cases.
I must guilty of the perlite fog too Piskie |
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Cherry
Moderator
12178 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 08:51:37
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| I take care when breathing in these sort of dusts and use my Perlite cuttings compost on top of seed pots instead of straight Perlite. I don't get too close to dusty wafts of compost either. |
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Wildlife_friendly
Mrs
3182 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 09:18:34
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The media just love a good scare. We saw it on the news this morning, the OH looked at me with that knowing smile and said if compost was dangerous I’d be dead by now. I must have eaten so much compost over the years it doesn’t bare thinking about.
The OH often brings me out a biscuit or a doughnut with my coffee, it’s always a quick wipe of my hands on the jeans, I never go inside and wash them properly. I use my mouth as a third hand, it’s very useful for holding labels, pencils garden ties etc (not all at once!). |
 Encouraging wildlife in Devon. |
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steve
Moderator
23005 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 09:55:19
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That's me too WLF  |
Steve
In Ilkeston |
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Piskie
Mrs
1584 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 09:59:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Wildlife_friendly
... it’s always a quick wipe of my hands on the jeans, I never go inside and wash them properly. I use my mouth as a third hand, it’s very useful for holding labels, pencils garden ties etc (not all at once!).
yep - same here |
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pennyron
Tree
9916 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 10:14:17
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| Yes they're always trying to scare us off. Probably a conspiracy by the supermarkets to stop us growing our own Besides we're probably immune to it now as we've all got a touch of Botrytis, mildew, blight, black spot, even vertical wilt |
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Wildlife_friendly
Mrs
3182 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 10:25:36
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| I must have a pretty robust immune system, I never get stomach bugs or colds. I won’t be changing the habits of a life time because of 3 cases. I wonder how many millions of people use bagged compost? We’ve probably got a higher chance of winning the lottery than contracting Legionnaires disease. |
Encouraging wildlife in Devon. |
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Piskie
Mrs
1584 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 11:48:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Wildlife_friendly
.. We’ve probably got a higher chance of winning the lottery than contracting Legionnaires disease.
oooh goody |
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SueA
Tree
4537 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 12:08:06
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I hadn't heard about this but I did see something somewhere recently saying it was possible to get e-coli & similar bugs in compost or manure & that you should always wash your hands after using them. I would think most bagged bought composts are fairly sterile though & if I used manure I'd definitely wash my hands before eating anything! |
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Janbrad
Mrs
1119 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 12:32:47
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| I heard this yesterday. I also heard of a report a couple of years back when a gardener died from a chest infection where it is believed he had breathed in bacterial spores when he was turning his compost heap. |
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sweetpea
Tree
8376 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 12:44:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Janbrad
I heard this yesterday. I also heard of a report a couple of years back when a gardener died from a chest infection where it is believed he had breathed in bacterial spores when he was turning his compost heap.
It is of course the bacteria which turn the green waste into usable compost.
also bacteria are omnipresent just about everywher so you can't escape them.
More people get killed by road traffic than by compost related cases but I don't see them rushing to ban cars.
ps how many kids have eaten soil and worms and are ok? |
Gardening in South Wales (Pembrokeshire) |
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grindle
Mrs
13904 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 17:59:22
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| well lets face it if we took on board all they tell us, we wouldn't go out or do anything, so I for one am willing to take the chance |
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pennyron
Tree
9916 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 18:41:23
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quote:
Originally posted by grindle
well lets face it if we took on board all they tell us, we wouldn't go out or do anything, so I for one am willing to take the chance
So true Grindle. I wonder if those who contract these illnesses have lived in too much of a clean environment. Remember the old adage "we must all eat a handful of muck before we die" |
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grindle
Mrs
13904 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2010 : 04:32:29
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| done plenty of that Ron |
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Legionaires in compost