[chlsands]

Hi folks.
I was wondering if anyone could answer this question.
My father had a plastic bottle of Murphy's Gamma BHC dust by Fisons sitting for 20 years. Yesterday he decided to use it for pest control in his potato plot. He put the dust... which was now a lumpy paste... onto the soil and dug it in with manure. THEN he read the bottle and it said not to plant potatoes for 18 months after applying the dust.
My question is
Has this bottle of lumpy Lindane BHC seen its day after 20 years and is not harmful?
I read on other sites that its half life once applied to soil is 980 days but will this reduce since its been affected by condensation in a plastic bottle for 20 years? I've just been told its also been sitting outside for the last 2 years. Irish weather is wet all year round and its been cold too. Not ideal storage conditions. Its consistency is like someone chewed up a wheat biscuit and held it out on their tongue. Manufacture date on bottle is 1989.
With many and great thanks I await any help.

[Borek]

I am afraid not much can be said - could be it decomposed and was safe to even eat, could be it decomposed into even nastier stuff than the original. To be on the safe side I would wait.