Before blackberry season gets under way...

[pseudomonas]

When I was a kid back in the 80s, I was told not to pick and eat fruit growing next to busy roads. In these days of near-universal unleaded petrol, does this advice still hold true at all?

Comments

[pseudomonas]

Why permanganate?

I don't think that you'd've been killed even in the days of leaded petrol; effects are cumulative and not necessarily lethal.

[alextiefling]

nanaya had it as a recommendation from someone. I forget the rationale, but I agreed with it at the time!

[alextiefling]

It occurs to me that as blackberries are drupes, they are more absorbent than cherries. This means they'd soak up the permanganate (bad) and the petrol fumes (also bad) much more.

So I'd strongly advise against using permanganate on them, and against eating them if they've grown beside a busy road.

[pseudomonas]

I thought cherries were drupes too?