The Polish government has announced stricter rules on the sale of some types of chemical pesticides. The decision follows the tragic death of a three-year-old girl who died last week from poisoning after using a chemical rodent repellent on her family’s property. The incident has shocked the Polish farming community.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture (and former farmers’ union leader) Michał Kołodziejczak said that plans to tighten the regulations were already in the pipeline, and that the recent tragedy has now accelerated the process. One of the most important changes is a ban on online sales and home deliveries of the most dangerous pesticides, including those containing aluminium phosphide.
The deputy minister said that many private individuals, often out of ignorance, buy products that are only allowed to be used by professional users. “Not iedereen complies with the regulations,” Kołodziejczak said. The ministry had already drawn attention to the availability of such dangerous preparations in July and ordered inspections of sellers of plant protection products.
Police in the western Polish city of Nowy Tomyśl received an emergency call on Wednesday about a three-year-old girl who had been taken to hospital with symptoms of poisoning and died there. According to the police investigation, a chemical rodent repellent had been used on the family's property.
Although the preparation was applied outdoors, an investigator suspected that the fumes released had caused the poisoning. Firefighters found the site contaminated with phosphine, a highly toxic gas.
Kołodziejczak urged users of pesticides to be extremely careful and to follow the instructions on the labels. “Each pesticide has specific instructions and should not be used by people without proper training and authorization,” he warned.
Next week, the Polish Ministry of Agriculture will meet with the State Inspectorate for Plant Health and Seed Control to implement further measures and additional restrictions. “This tragedy has shown that further steps are necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens,” Kołodziejczak concluded.