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A Sack of Beans 
In May last year Andrew Lincoln, a freelance delivery driver from Norwich, was asked to deliver some seeds to a farm in East Anglia called British Field Products. When a bag split open in Andy's van and he quickly became nauseous, faint and developed a dry throat and a rash on his hands. The delivery note showed that the seeds had been treated with an organophosphate insecticide called dichlofenthion. Organophosphates  Organophosphate insecticides were first developed in Germany during World War Two as a by-product of nerve gas development. They are derived from phosphoric acid and are generally among the most acutely toxic of all pesticides to vertebrate animals (sadly, including human beings).
Is it legal? There are 20 organophosphate pesticides approved for use in the UK. Dichlofenthion is NOT one of them. Mark was a bit confused by this and asked Andy to use the Data Protection Act to get his files from the Health & Safety Executive. His file revealed that dichlofenthion was the active ingredient in a chemical called Aatifon, used to treat the seeds. It also revealed that...
 The Pesticide Safety Directorate So we seem to have uncovered a bit of a loophole. What is the point of Britain having a licensing system if pesticides that aren't licensed are allowed into the country on seeds? The Pesticide Safety Directorate are part of DEFRA, the Department of the Environment, Farming & Rural Affairs but they are funded through a levy on sales of…pesticides. For every £100 of pesticide bought in the UK, the PSD get £1.60. As Mark says, it's hardly reassuring... 
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