"Cynthia" wrote in message
...
1) I live on a main road near the CBD and I grow herbs among the other
potted plants in the yard. Does anyone know if there are risks in eating
home grown plants in the inner city?

When I sweep the yard, I always collect a layer of sticky diesel dust and
for the last year, I've simply thrown this back into the soil, along with
any leaves and soils which I've collected. My concern is that the plants we
eat will be absorbing the pollutants in the soil and we in turn will be
slowly poisoning ourselves.


2) The other issue was that when I recently spoke to a rep for a company who
make small worm farm kits, they told me that it was not a good idea to use
the worm castings on vegetable plots. When I asked what the reason was for
not mixing it into the vegetable plots, the rep said that she couldn't tell
me why this was as she didn't know. This seems contrary to any other info I
have found on the internet. Does anyone know what the hazards might be or if
there are any?

None of this is pleasant stuff, but I am already concerned about the damage
we may already be experiencing from breathing in diesel fumes on a constant
basis.


Cynthia

when i lived in such a location, i could really notice the difference in
dust etc out the front where the traffic was, vs out the back.

if i were you, i'd plant more at the front to absorb pollutants & catch
dust, & only eat what i grew out the back. personally i'd not worry while
eating the out-the-back stuff (i used to do that myself). some people might,
but i wouldn't.

i tried to make a tall hedge of plants out the front. it REALLY helped with
both dust and noise.
kylie