Leaking package sickens postal workers.

HUEYTOWN, Alabama (AP) -- A chemical used to make artificial fishing lures leaked from a flimsy package at a post office and sent about 20 postal workers to a hospital Tuesday after some experienced breathing problems, authorities said.

www.cnn.com...

As i am no fishing expert, could someone tell me what part of a lure you would use something that dangerous on? Surely it would break pollution regulations fishing with something that can make that many people sick with such a small spillage? Or is this chemical safe once made into the lure?

Genuine dodgy fishing lure chemical or a dry run for something do you think?

CX.

All sorts of toxic chemicals are used to make products we use every day, let alone fishing lures. There's nothing terror related or any kind of comspiracy here. Just a leaky package.

This article makes no sense...

It was strong enough to damage a tile floor???

In the quote by Larry Dingman, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, he calls it "fish bait."

Fish bait????

No mention of the chemical either...

Let me see what else I can dig up.

[edit on 25-4-2006 by loam]

Originally posted by sensfan
There's nothing terror related or any kind of comspiracy here. Just a leaky package.

That sent 20 people to the hospital...

Care to specifically identify the leaky chemical that is used as fish bait and can damage tile floor and send people to the hospital?

I tried looking, but came up dry...

I could'nt find anything either. I was just suprised that the sender, supposing that they know how dangerous this stuff is, would be stupid enough to send it in a package that could leak. Surely there are rules on what is sent through the post and how you send them?

I appreciate that many chemicals, often some which are deadly on thier own, are used in every day products. I'm just a little confused as to why this lot was sent through the post.

Oh well, just a leaky package maybe then. Would be interesting to know who else turned up at the post office as well as the local fire brigade HAZMAT team though?

CX.

Actually, fish bait, especially for deep ocean use, is unnaturally pungent. It's made with rotten chunks of fish and loads of smelly oils that disperse well in water. The nastier the bait, the better the draw, as a general rule for ocean fishing.

You can use frozen bait that's almost oderless, but the stronger the smell in the air, the stronger the smell in the water. I'm also pretty sure there are additives sold that are intended to be mixed in with chum to make the smell many times more potent, could that be the case here?

In an enclosed space, I can DEFINITELY see fish bait causing nausea and vomitting, take it from someone who once had a job chucking this stuff off the side of a boat (spent half the summer almost puking, and that was in the open air, at trawling speeds with the wind rushing by).

Now, I have no idea if the story is accurate, or whether there's something more complicated going on, with respect to the substance that made people sick. Obviously, it could be anything at this point.

However, I can state with absolute certainty that someone not used to the smell of pungent fish bait could get violently ill if exposed to it. Most fresh water baits/lures/scents are much less offensive, although even bass and catfish scented 'meat' lures smell vile when you get them out of the jar. But if this was a batch of saltwater scent, designed to be used on its own or mixed in with chum, there's no question it could make some folks sick. Fish love it though, the smellier the better.

Edit: Okay, it was additive meant to be used to impregnate lures with scent. Vile stuff, industrial hazard I'd imagine. Whoever was dumb enough to ship that stuff without proper precautions needs to have their head examined. This is a concentrated artificial scent, much like the noxious liquid in those prank stink bombs.

[edit on 25-4-2006 by WyrdeOne]

Originally posted by WyrdeOne

Actually, fish bait, especially for deep ocean use, is unnaturally pungent. It's made with rotten chunks of fish and loads of smelly oils that disperse well in water. The nastier the bait, the better the draw, as a general rule for ocean fishing.

As a fishing amateur, in all respects, what kind of fish do you catch with this sort of compound? Is this a commercial fishing product, or something used by sport fishermen?

All kinds. There's a pretty big market for lure scent.

The people selling this stuff encourage you to use a different kind based on the sort of fish you're after. And of course they all say they've got the best formula. Here's a review of one spray-on sort, with some pictures showing how it's applied, and later showing it in the water.

www.tackletour.com...

I'm not endorsing them, just picked the one with the nice, informative pictures.

As far as using this stuff commercially, I don't know if its practical or not - but my guess would be no. You'd have to do a cost/return study to figure out the feasibility. Sport fishermen are in possession of a LOT more disposable income. They can afford to have all sorts of whacky gizmos. Commerical fishing is so cutthroat nowadays, an innovation has to be pretty freakin' fantastic for the successful guys to spend money on it.

I think there are a lot of guys who haven't upgraded their equipment since the invention of the radio.

Yeah, at first I was going to joke about the smell of various bates ooooowweeee but then I read all the posts and got to thinking about the chemical used in artificial butter flavoring, diacetyl, and the workers who suffered respiratory problems inhaling it at the microwave popcorn plants. But what was this doing in the mails? Someone making custom lures? Or? Now I sure understand why there are rules for shipping. Makes sense.

It looks like a slow news day or the reporter was trying to exaggerate to get this exact effect.

Pungent does not mean toxic. A good example would be vinegar. Vinegar would also cause visible damage to a tile floor. Then of course you have the fact that the government employees first thought would be how can I sue the government over this. It is probably very likely that the symptoms are psychosomatic in nature. I have the same problem when I smell liver being cooked. Just the smell makes me physically ill, including vomiting. I think the same thing is in play here. I am not sick at all; it’s just a reaction to the odor.

Good fish bait stinks. Fish are attracted to the smell of amino acids. They think it is rotting flesh which is their favorite food. Sweet smells attract them as well. Bait is usually a mixture of organic matter that has been allowed to rot. One of the best is to let chicken livers sit in an enclosed container in the sun until they putrefy; which leaves a gooey, stinking mess. You then put it through some cheesecloth (while holding your nose and facing upwind) and extract the oil. I then like to mix it with Velveeta cheese. The oils allow the odor to dissipate slowly as the cheese dissolves. Stink bait can more than double your chances of a successful fishing trip. Now you know my secret recipe, go catch some fish.