NPR blog on controversy regarding biosolids as compost

[kilroyscarnival]

NPR's "The Salt" blog has posted this piece on the controversial use of treated human waste as compost. The author's community garden had been offered compost, described as "too good to be true," until its composition was learned. Now the garden community is going to have a vote on whether it is to be used.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...paign=20130513

Shortlinked to: http://n.pr/101hgGl

I am not sure about these issues myself, but I found the piece interesting.

Ann

[Cole_Robbie]

My uncle has worked at a sewage treatment plant for 20 years. I asked him about the stuff. He says it has pretty much every heavy metal there is. He won't put it on anything. I can only imagine it contains pharmaceutical drugs too, like anti-depressants and birth control hormones.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

NPR's "The Salt" blog has posted this piece on the controversial use of treated human waste as compost. The author's community garden had been offered compost, described as "too good to be true," until its composition was learned. Now the garden community is going to have a vote on whether it is to be used.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/201...paign=20130513

Shortlinked to: http://n.pr/101hgGl

I am not sure about these issues myself, but I found the piece interesting.

Ann

If your growing Organically and following ORMI rules, then any compost made with Bio-Solids are not allowed.

Terry

[tqn626]

I like how Kellogg brand in my area says OMRI, but it contains biosolids. Or can you still get OMRI certification with biosolids. Or is OMRI just the BBB of the gardening world?

[Redbaron]

That's an issue that I can't speak to as advise for others. Too many variables.

All I can say is what I would do with it myself. First test it to make sure it is relatively decent to start with. Then compost it again with double the bulk in grass clippings, which get seriously hot very quick if taken wet directly from the mower bag.

Then I would dig a trench and bury it. I am certain the veggies grown over that spot will be awesome, but no chance of a bit of the bio-solids splashing up directly on my plants.

We all know the grass grows greener over the septic tank. Veggies will too, but I wouldn't want to get any directly on my food. Let the soil do its magic on it first.

[PA_Julia]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

My uncle has worked at a sewage treatment plant for 20 years. I asked him about the stuff. He says it has pretty much every heavy metal there is. He won't put it on anything. I can only imagine it contains pharmaceutical drugs too, like anti-depressants and birth control hormones.

I do like my tomatoes happy and not pregnant so I guess I'm OK with this.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Is it safe to use compost made from treated human waste?

Then one of my fellow gardeners noticed the source of the Spotsylvania compost: biosolids, or human poop that's been treated and transformed into organic ...

By the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency created strict standards with two tiers for biosolids still in use today. To sell Class A biosolids to farmers and gardeners, facilities have to ensure that there are no dangerous heavy metals or bacteria in the end product.

Bowing to public feedback, the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided in 2000 to prohibit the use of sludge in the National Organic Program. This was in spite of the fact that “there is no current scientific evidence that use of sewage sludge in the production of foods presents unacceptable risks to the environment or human health,” USDA spokesman Samuel Jones tells The Salt.

Read the article, and decide for yourself whether to use it.

[Durgan]

Most if not all food grown in China is fertilized with human waste. Almost all our garlic now comes from China. Harmful? Who knows?

[tlintx]

Originally Posted by Durgan

Most if not all food grown in China is fertilized with human waste. Almost all our garlic now comes from China. Harmful? Who knows?

Are we sure about this?

Because, on the one hand, I'm like, eeeew, gross, but on the other, if it's true, I've already been exposed a lot.

Surely that's not fresh garlic, just for processed products?


Tl

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by Durgan

Most if not all food grown in China is fertilized with human waste. Almost all our garlic now comes from China. Harmful? Who knows?

The Chinese are not on prescription drugs like so many Americans, who also tend to flush extra pills down the toilet. There's nothing wrong with human poop itself used carefully as fertilizer (such as "humanure"), but that premise does not account for other sources of contamination.

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

The Chinese are not on prescription drugs like so many Americans, who also tend to flush extra pills down the toilet. There's nothing wrong with human poop itself used carefully as fertilizer (such as "humanure"), but that premise does not account for other sources of contamination.

Exactly. "Nightsoil" and pee for that matter, in and of themselves are excellent ferts and historically were used everywhere. It's all the other "stuff" in there that is problematic. Drugs and heavy metals as commented here are often the primary contaminants and don't readily decompose. Not a direct comparison, but herbicide contaminated manure and decomposition spring to mind.

OMRI- if you read the product listings, many now have the rating but tagged with an exception for specific deficiency use. When I was reading about that over the winter, I could not discern if that meant biosolids were in certain products or not.
Maybe someone else can. Otherwise caveat emptor.

As to Durgans "who knows" comment about China, I would extend that to many Chinese products. Heavy metals were turning up inall kinds of items and then being recalled. Cosmetics, kids toys, etc. They were very good at taking our waste products and selling them back to us. How much still goes on? Who knows?
I have several Chinese friends that will not purchase a single product, other than electronics, that is manufactured in China.
I find that very telling....

[bughunter99]

The problem is that sewage encompasses everything that is dumped down the drain, not just things that humans consume. Paint thinner, hair dye, draino, old pills, paint, toilet cleaners, jewelry cleaner etc.

I toured our local sewage place with my daughter for her science project. I have to say that the processing for dealing with things like hepatitis was pretty cool and left me feeling that these things are probably not a measurable risk. There was nothing that I saw in their processing that would deal with chemical toxins and antibiotics though. I'm very curious how that is done to assure that ALL of the bad stuff is removed. Locally they can't figure out how to get the bad out of the wells.

I love the idea of reprocessing but I won't be using sludge on the garden anytime soon.

[Durgan]

About 1950 there was a drive for cities to dump sludge free of charge on farmers fields near London, Ontario. The sludge was delivered in dump trucks during the winter when the ground was frozen so to support the trucks. On a warm day the odour was unbelievable.

Now fast forward 50 years. The sellers of this land now advertise that they never had sludge dumped on their land. The land of which I refer is now a up-scale sub division. What you don't know wont hurt you is the motto.

That city sludge is as toxic and harmful as one can get. Plus it stinks to high heaven.

[JamesL]

Speaking of China, this is in today's WSJ.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...962413470.html
Threat to Rice Fuels Latest Chinese Uproar

A government test indicated that nearly half the rice sold in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was contaminated with cadmium, triggering anger from consumers that China's staple food hasn't escaped the widespread pollution tainting its air, water and soil.

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Speaking of China, this is in today's WSJ.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...962413470.html
Threat to Rice Fuels Latest Chinese Uproar

A government test indicated that nearly half the rice sold in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was contaminated with cadmium, triggering anger from consumers that China's staple food hasn't escaped the widespread pollution tainting its air, water and soil.

Thats why gardeners in NYC and other large cities in the north, are told to get soil tests done, it seems that most of NYC soils are contaminated with Lead.