JennyC wrote:
"Bioboffin" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:
"fourmations" wrote in message
...
hi all

I live on a small main road and have wild blackberries
in the front garden (about 30 foot from road)

would these be bad/dangerous to eat
(after thorough washing obviously)

I would never pick blackberries from a roadside, not because of
animal contamination but because of deposits from exhausts. They're
not water soluble so can't be washed off. the distance you state
should be enough barrier to prevent most of that.

I would be interested to know just what deposits you would expect?
Unleaded fuels have removed the nastiest one, and catalytic
converters remove most of the gases. Diesels are chucking out
particulates, but they are mostly carbon. I'm not suggesting that
you are wrong - I wouldn't eat blackberries from the side of the
road either, but I'd really like to know which deposits you are
thinking of.

MAFF has a report :
http://archive.food.gov.uk/maff/arch...9/199multi.htm
bit technical for me ..... Jenny "~)

Yup. This is dated March 2000, and probably relates to research carried out
at least a year earlier (peer checking and all that). Lead levels have been
falling for the last decade, and are likely to be even lower today. The
platinum levels might be worrying, as the report says - a component of
catalytic converters - although I'm not too convinced that it is toxic
except perhaps in very high concentrations.

However. Thanks for the link - it was relevant and interesting.

John.