Bagged compost/potting mix risks?

[Neil C]

I was just seeking some opions from all you knowledable people on here. I see alot more warning signs on bags of compost/potting mix and have even been told off by family members for handling the same without wearing gloves. The bags actually say to wear gloves and even a mask. Is this just the manufactures covering themselves or are there really alot of dangers associated with organic matter. I always handle the above out of doors and wash my hands afterwards.

If I really have to wear gloves and a mask I might as well stop gardening. It's about being outdoors and getting a bit grubby for me. I'm sure some people have picked up respiratory problems from breathing in dust from these products but are these few and far between? Is it like saying don't cross a road or you might get hit by a bus?

I'd love to hear others views and thanks in advance for any replies.

Regards Neil

[Pip]

Leogionaires disease is the worry with manufactured potting mixes.

[Kostas]

The potting mixes I use do not come with such a warning, but it may be a regional thing? I don't know. I was never especially careful when handling soil and don't have any problems so far. Common sense is used when it comes to excessive dust, such as from very dry potting mixes or when handling dry perlite(hold your breath till you are done and go breathe elsewhere), but otherwise there shouldn't be much dust with most potting mixes being sold moist. Skin infections could occur and toxoplasma or even anthrax is not out of the question if you ingest the material, get it on mucosal tissue or have open wounds but all these would be very rare occurences. This of course does not diminish their potential severity if you do get them, so it's all a matter of choices and luck...

I never use a mask when gardening, except when pollinating cycads where a mask is a good precaution with the pollen of certain species at least having neurotoxins.

More or less, the chances of getting something serious would be similar to getting hit by a bus. The biggest health concern when gardening is the use of chemicals and especially the various pesticides and herbicides

[richnorm]

We get regular warnings through the media about potting mixes and all bags have a health warning. Like other countries we have gone health and safety mad here. So it was "amusing" to listen to a school safety briefing at a tree planting day about the "dangers" of spades and slipping on the grass etc but no mention of the potting mix and bags of chemical fertilisers which the kids duly launched into! I don't use gloves or a mask but always make sure it is damp and wash hands immediately after potting on. I think there are a few cases of legionaires each year so must be about as risky as getting infected from a rose thorn.

[Gonzer]

Mine bags say to call my doctor if I'm still mulching after 4 hours

[Brad Mondel]

I've seen that before and I've always ignored it. I've been using my bare hands in soil my entire life, including commercial mixes. I think they warn you about this because you could potentially absorb chemical fertilizers through your skin.

[Neil C]

Thanks for all the replies, looks like I'll just keep doing what I've always done.

Regards Neil

[Tropicgardener]

No gloves or mask here but I personally know of a few gardeners that have contracted Legionnaires............ A number of years ago I was spreading poultry manure 'turf fines' on a windy day. I got sick, very sick......through testing the doctor traced it back to the fertilizer.