What's in the potting mix? Is it just peat, or a mix of peat and other materials?

The potting mix I use is peat-based with some added perlite. It doesn't bother me at all. I do have to be careful not to inhale the dust when I use straight perlite, that will aggravate my asthma.

I use either Berger BM 6 or Pro-Mix

https://www.hummert.com/berger-bm6-all-purpose-10121100

Says it has:

Ingredients

• Premium selected coarse grade peat moss
• Coarse grade perlite
• Dolomitic and calcitic limestone
• Non-ionic wetting agent standard fertilizer starter charge

I’ve used AP or HP ProMix for eons with no problems. My last purchase was ProMix BX and it really bothers me!

I guess I'm getting really sensitive as I get older. I went on amz and bought a mask like you would use for chemicals and such. Great tool for turning compost! I've had 'farmers lung' a few times over the years and that wasn't any fun. My neighbors look at me weird, but that's okay, as I breath better!

Breathing in dust from potting soil can be dangerous because of fungi and bacteria.

Glad you are wearing a mask--hope it is an N95, at least.

I was out in the closed garage the other day, just brushing soil from last year's pots getting ready to wash them and I started coughing and sneezing. Today I'm going to put the washed pots away. Will take note of symptoms.

Never heard of Farmer's Lung. Going to look it up now. I have developed a chronic mild intermittent cough over time. I do use a maintenance inhaler which helps, but am kinda self-medicating. Never have gotten solid diagnosis but presumed "airway reactive disease" when I started sitting in an office under a 30year old HVAC return and developed a wheeze several years ago. ARD is a (cop-out?) term used for undiagnosed asthma. Wheeze is gone but I started up with the inhaler when symptoms increased about a year ago..

Yes, @violetsnapdragon; it's an N95. It's helped a lot!

@WendyB 5A/MA, get you a mask off amz! You won't regret it!

in shopping cart now :-)

I think you might have been hypersensitized.

https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/hypersensitivity-pneumonitis

I have never been bothered by potting soil, leaf mold dust, or anything else like that. In midsummer I do sometimes get mild plant pollen (presumably grass) allergies. But it depends on the year, and I have almost never treated it because I think it's better to let ones immune system sort it out than try to suppress histamine.

@UpperBayGardener (zone 7), I think you are correct. I have a compromised immune system anyway.

I need to get a mask to do this. I thought I was catching a cold, but it might be irritation from the dust. I started 15 trays of seeds over the past 2-3 days.

You should @mazerolm_3a! I feel goofy wearing mine, but it makes all the difference in the world, and I have too much to do to feel miserable so much!