I was horrified …

Without reading the small print I grabbed the first box of what looked like lawn seed from my local hardware shop but it was only when I returned home and started to sprinkle the seed on the prepared patch of ground that I realised that there was also a bag of what looked like fertiliser pellets in the box.

Grass seed does not need fertiliser so not only was this a waste of money (as obviously the box was only half full of seed the remainder contained the fertiliser pellets in a separate bag) but later when I read the small print at the back of the box under the fertiliser analysis section I was horrified to see the following warning:

This product contains cadmium, mercury (excl WA) and lead (excl WA). Continued use of this product in agricultural situations may lead to residue levels in plant and animal products in excess of the maximum level specified by the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code and an accumulation of cadmium, mercury (excl WA) and lead (Excl WA) in soils.

Why on earth are they allowed to sell products that contain these toxic heavy metals? Needless to say I have not used the fertiliser pellets but am now unsure of the safest way to dispose of them.

Estelle Ross

Riverside