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Re: Watsonville pesticides/strawberries/methyl bromide/
In article <4pe52i$j6d@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
brateaver@aol.com (BRateaver) wrote:
> Yes, I know it is widely reported that strawberries are the most poisoned
> fruit on the grocery table.
> If you would go to one of the methyl bromide meetings, you would see how
> desperate are those who want to continue using it.
Hi, BR. Yes, soil fumigation is one use of methyl bromide, but the
really critical use is fumigation of stored grains. The grain is
placed in a sealed room or tank, and methyl bromide/chloropicrin gas
is inserted. Chloropicrin is tear gas, and is used as a smell indicator.
Nobody accidentally stays in a room full of tear gas.
The methyl bromide kills the bugs in the grain. It dissipates rapidly
>from dry grain, and doesn't leave a residue. Modern fumigation facilities
remove the gas by filtration, and it is not released into the atmosphere.
Grain losses without the use of methyl bromide, or other gasses just
as toxic, would be horrible. Continued use of methyl bromide worldwide
for stored grain fumigation is critical.
In soil fumigation I'm with you. Killing everything in your soil is
not the way to develop healthy soil, and releasing methyl bromide into
the atmosphere is not the way to develop a healthy planet.
I don't support a ban on methyl bromide, but would support restriction
on its use as a soil fumigant.
-- Larry
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