Caught in Fungicide Spray

JJSpringers

New Member
New to this forum and am a smallholder not a farmer so I hope you won't mind me asking this.

Can anyone tell me how harmful it could have been to breathe in fungicide spray straight after it was sprayed? Walked in it for a minute or so after the sprayer went straight past me at close quarters. I had heard that most of the really bad stuff was banned now but I could barely breathe by the time I got off the footpath - strong chemical smell as you would expect and the skin in my mouth gone a bit strange feeling.

Has anyone experience this and know what I can expect to happen if anything much? I had my dogs with me too.
 

farenheit

Member
Location
Midlands
Its hard to say without knowing what the chemical was (how do you know it was just a fungicide?), but I would have thought it would be unlikely to be more than a minor irritant. Without trying to dig further, why on earth did you get a minutes worth of spray on you? Did you run at the same speed as the sprayer to keep getting more??
 

snarling bee

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
I'm sure that just one occasion of breathing it in will do no harm to you or your dogs. The drift from a sprayer only contains a tiny amount of the sprayed quantity as it is only the smallest droplets that drift, and probably between 97 and 99.5% of that would be water anyway. You are correct in that the products that had any harmful effects are now not approved or available anyway. Without knowing exactly what was being sprayed it would be difficult to make any further comment, not that I would be qualified to do so anyway.
 

Happy

Member
Location
Scotland
Why did you walk in a field that you could see the sprayer had been in and gone by you?

It’s amazing what some people will do.
i was spaying docks in silage field this morning. On fourth side there was a small child stopped on a bike over the fence watching me. Waited a minute or two hoping they would go away but didn’t so decided to spray rest of the field and leave that run until the end.

Never saw her for half an hour, then she reappeared just as I was ready to do that last run. This time her parents stood beside her and watched as well:rolleyes:
 
It’s amazing what some people will do.
i was spaying docks in silage field this morning. On fourth side there was a small child stopped on a bike over the fence watching me. Waited a minute or two hoping they would go away but didn’t so decided to spray rest of the field and leave that run until the end.

Never saw her for half an hour, then she reappeared just as I was ready to do that last run. This time her parents stood beside her and watched as well:rolleyes:

Fudge sake, get a load of flurox in your eyes and it won't be fun. Many ag-chems are irritating to eyes and skin.
 

Timbo1080

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Somerset
As above, its very difficult to make an informed comment without knowing what was being sprayed...... However, in most usual circumstances, that "strong chemical smell" is usually the solvents evaporating away, while the actual chemical is left on the leaf. Some solvents can be pretty pokey especially in warm weather as it all evaporates at once in one big cloud - Hence people sniffing glue etc, and sensible people wearing masks when in their presence. I made a silly mistake a few years ago, and was amazed at how 'high' i got while handling fungicides......Had very similar symptoms to you, adding that i also became so dizzy that i felt a bit drunk. Needless to say i haven't made that mistake again. Symptoms went away after an hour or so. Hope you're feeling better.
 

B R C

Member
Arable Farmer
Why did you walk in a field that you could see the sprayer had been in and gone by you?
That’s a rather big assumption, I have quite a few fields that have footpaths in that you could get half way across without realising the sprayer is in the field then you are stuck with nowhere to go. It’s really simple, stop spraying let the walker pass with a polite wave then carry on, most people appreciate it, I know I would. Or you could be a dick and carry on spraying.
 
That’s a rather big assumption, I have quite a few fields that have footpaths in that you could get half way across without realising the sprayer is in the field then you are stuck with nowhere to go. It’s really simple, stop spraying let the walker pass with a polite wave then carry on, most people appreciate it, I know I would. Or you could be a dick and carry on spraying.

'The sprayer went right past me at close quarters'
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Exactly, would you carry on spraying right next to somebody? If you were out for a walk with your young children and a sprayer came round the corner and gave you a mouthful would you be happy?
If I meet them coming towards me on road or path I stop. Let them past me then continue.

It's the tools on bicycles that get me. They seem to like, racing, overtaking the sprayer boom while its spraying headlands next to road. I'd one today she overtook the sprayer, with hand over her mouth shaking her head, FFS could she not have hung back till I got to corner? I'd another one last week, was going up quite a steep hill, me and the cyclist neck and neck. She just stuck at same speed as sprayer at end of boom for what seemed like ages. Give her, her due she pulled away from me and was faster up hill eventually.
 

JJSpringers

New Member
Thank you for the replies. I really appreciate you taking the time.

I got caught in the middle of a footpath with the sprayer heading my way. I SHOULD have turned back but for some reason thought it would be safe. Lesson learned.
I ended up walking for a minute or so right next to wheat that had just been sprayed 30 seconds before. The smell was awful and I can still taste it now. I did check with the sprayer and it was something called Soleil which you may be familiar with. Tebucnonazole and Bromuconazole a quick google tells me - plus a few other things in there as well.

I am not blaming the contractor in any way shape or form - he was just going about his work. I just wanted to know if this stuff is really harmful or not as I am in a bit of a panic tbh as well as feeling really bloody stupid.
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
Thank you for the replies. I really appreciate you taking the time.

I got caught in the middle of a footpath with the sprayer heading my way. I SHOULD have turned back but for some reason thought it would be safe. Lesson learned.
I ended up walking for a minute or so right next to wheat that had just been sprayed 30 seconds before. The smell was awful and I can still taste it now. I did check with the sprayer and it was something called Soleil which you may be familiar with. Tebucnonazole and Bromuconazole a quick google tells me - plus a few other things in there as well.

I am not blaming the contractor in any way shape or form - he was just going about his work. I just wanted to know if this stuff is really harmful or not as I am in a bit of a panic tbh as well as feeling really bloody stupid.
Ask to see spray logs or products labels and risks assesments if spraying on a public footpath ,if required seek medical attention or contact emergency numbers on product labels?
Looks like legal hornets nest?
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I went to spray a field the other night and first there was a child on a pony going round the edge of the field accompanied by parents then a group of walkers. None were on a public footpath but use the field edge as a path ever since it used to have a stewardship margin. I must have sat waiting for 15 minutes to let them all pass before making a start but far rather that than end up in bother for spraying somebody, trespasser or not.
 

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