Sewage (Bio Solids) in Your Compost? - Page 4

Gardeneer · September 6, 2016

Few years ago Cobb County, in GA was giving away free compost made out of trash and/or sludge. But it was meant for use as mulch around trees and shrubs, not for edible vegetable garden.
I never did get any. Instead I could pick as much composted horse manure for free from a horse farm. The manure was mixed with hay and wood shaving and composted.

whoose · September 7, 2016

So what should I do? The heavy metals look low. The stuff bio degrades. Did it up or wash it well before eating?

September 7, 2016

On the Milorganite web site. The question is asked "Is it okay to grow vegetables using their product?" Essentially, their answer is "Everything in nature has heavy metals in it. So long as EPA recommended levels are not exceeded, it does not present a problem." According to the statement, some heavy metals are required to maintain a healthy life.

I don't know if all producers of biosolids do it, but the city of Milwaukee heats the sludge to kill all organisms before packaging it for sale. I don't think the EPA would allow it to be sold if it's safety isn't proven. The EPA has become pretty testy about stuff like that.

The answer to any question you ask depends on the person being asked. If Sixty Minutes or 20/20 did a television segment about your dirt, I'm sure they could find an "expert" who would declare your dirt a bio hazard and recommend it be dug up and hauled to a toxic waste disposal site because it has the potential of killing thousands of people. But hey, that"s show biz. If they asked me, I would say "happy gardening".

Ted

brownrexx · September 7, 2016

I would not stress about it if I were you but I wouldn't add any more of that soil, I would continue to add other organic materials like leaves, straw, grass clippings etc. Heavy metals do not degrade over time but they are low so just don't add more.

You should wash produce carefully anyway so just continue to do that.

You know, many people collect rainwater and who knows what may be on their roofs? Your soil is probably no worse than that.

dmforcier · September 7, 2016

Based on the evidence and discussion here, I'd use it with no special precautions.

Worth1 · September 7, 2016

Not to beat a subject to death but I have always wondered something.
As far as the bio solids what they contain and the amounts of it.
Cities as a rule in many places have a certain type of culture in them, call it demographics if you will.
I like to make fun of Austin but as a rule the people there are more educated and more inclined to be environmentally concerned than some other cities.
They as a rule exercise more often.
At least according to the data I have read and heard about different cities.
Which I think is skewed because these same reports and research more or less call people like me uneducated idiots.

I wonder if any of the reflects on what goes down the drain and the amount of it in the bio sludge.

I think I answered my own question.
Some time ago they spread the stuff out on the park grounds have a concert and a bunch of people broke out in a rash.
from what I read it was traced back to the Dillo Dirt.

What a person does in their own garden is their own business.

whoose · September 8, 2016

Talked to the plant manager yesterday an he said that the compost that the sell has less than 20% bio-solids. Also that the testing standard are very strict and they can not even get bio-solids from the treatment plant if the do not meet the initial standards.

They do not use hay, grass, lawn clippings and other possible contaminated sources, just sticks and stems.

My Foot Smells · September 8, 2016

if you didn't know, it probably wouldn't bother you. I could see a top soil additive (and have seen used in Killeen, Tx), but more questions than answers for garden, esp. if beds are raised or contained.

think there would be better sources, imo.

government and quality control are both things that do not bode confidence.

Starlight · September 8, 2016

I sure don't know anything about the composition of sludge's and what is good or not, but I can tell you that a friend bought this place and in the back yard they had an area that had sludge and waste soil. There were bunches of tomato plants growing in it. Since the plants looked healthy, my friend decided to let the plants grow.

The plants themselves looked healthy and grew large and things looked ok until the fruits came on. The tomatoes were deformed. You could just about see completely through them and they were a weird color I can't even describe. The outside of the tomatoes were like all pocked up. They reminded me of somebody with the worst case of acne you could think of.

I helped my friend pull up and destroy all those plants before one of the grandkids got some and ate them and possibly got sick. I had saved a couple of tomatoes to take over to the lab for testing, but I just never found the time to make the 4 hour drive and threw them out before somehow my crops got infected with something.

You could always give the stuff a try, but If it was me, I think I would do just a small section and plant it and see what happens, especially if it involves my food. Free sometimes isn't always a good thing. Good luck on whatever you try.

Worth1 · September 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starlight

I sure don't know anything about the composition of sludge's and what is good or not, but I can tell you that a friend bought this place and in the back yard they had an area that had sludge and waste soil. There were bunches of tomato plants growing in it. Since the plants looked healthy, my friend decided to let the plants grow.

The plants themselves looked healthy and grew large and things looked ok until the fruits came on. The tomatoes were deformed. You could just about see completely through them and they were a weird color I can't even describe. The outside of the tomatoes were like all pocked up. They reminded me of somebody with the worst case of acne you could think of.

I helped my friend pull up and destroy all those plants before one of the grandkids got some and ate them and possibly got sick. I had saved a couple of tomatoes to take over to the lab for testing, but I just never found the time to make the 4 hour drive and threw them out before somehow my crops got infected with something.

You could always give the stuff a try, but If it was me, I think I would do just a small section and plant it and see what happens, especially if it involves my food. Free sometimes isn't always a good thing. Good luck on whatever you try.

They might have been genetically altered by some sort of chemical.

Worth

Scooty · September 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

They might have been genetically altered by some sort of chemical.

Worth

Unless that's plutonium, uranium or some other radioactive waste

... If anything those chemicals would more likely render those seeds unviable.

Worth1 · September 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooty

Unless that's plutonium, uranium or some other radioactive waste

... If anything those chemicals would more likely render those seeds unviable.

You never know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation_breeding

dmforcier · September 8, 2016

Quote:

Kniggits: "Run away !!!!"

Scooty · September 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

You never know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation_breeding

OH.... you're talking about EMS..... If your local sanitation facility is releasing bio solids with EMS as compost material.... you've got bigger problems than worrying about it just affecting your garden.

Cole_Robbie · September 8, 2016

If there's a Fukushima Daisy, surely there could be a Fukushima mater, right?

September 6, 2016	#46
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Few years ago Cobb County, in GA was giving away free compost made out of trash and/or sludge. But it was meant for use as mulch around trees and shrubs, not for edible vegetable garden. I never did get any. Instead I could pick as much composted horse manure for free from a horse farm. The manure was mixed with hay and wood shaving and composted. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

September 7, 2016	#47
whoose Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Bozeman, Montana Zone 6b Posts: 333	So What is the Answer? So what should I do? The heavy metals look low. The stuff bio degrades. Did it up or wash it well before eating?

September 7, 2016	#48
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	On the Milorganite web site. The question is asked "Is it okay to grow vegetables using their product?" Essentially, their answer is "Everything in nature has heavy metals in it. So long as EPA recommended levels are not exceeded, it does not present a problem." According to the statement, some heavy metals are required to maintain a healthy life. I don't know if all producers of biosolids do it, but the city of Milwaukee heats the sludge to kill all organisms before packaging it for sale. I don't think the EPA would allow it to be sold if it's safety isn't proven. The EPA has become pretty testy about stuff like that. The answer to any question you ask depends on the person being asked. If Sixty Minutes or 20/20 did a television segment about your dirt, I'm sure they could find an "expert" who would declare your dirt a bio hazard and recommend it be dug up and hauled to a toxic waste disposal site because it has the potential of killing thousands of people. But hey, that"s show biz. If they asked me, I would say "happy gardening". Ted Last edited by tedln; September 7, 2016 at 12:37 PM.

September 8, 2016	#52
whoose Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Bozeman, Montana Zone 6b Posts: 333	Bio Solids Percentage in Compost Talked to the plant manager yesterday an he said that the compost that the sell has less than 20% bio-solids. Also that the testing standard are very strict and they can not even get bio-solids from the treatment plant if the do not meet the initial standards. They do not use hay, grass, lawn clippings and other possible contaminated sources, just sticks and stems.

September 7, 2016	#49
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I would not stress about it if I were you but I wouldn't add any more of that soil, I would continue to add other organic materials like leaves, straw, grass clippings etc. Heavy metals do not degrade over time but they are low so just don't add more. You should wash produce carefully anyway so just continue to do that. You know, many people collect rainwater and who knows what may be on their roofs? Your soil is probably no worse than that.

September 7, 2016	#50
dmforcier Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,825	Based on the evidence and discussion here, I'd use it with no special precautions.

September 7, 2016	#51
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Not to beat a subject to death but I have always wondered something. As far as the bio solids what they contain and the amounts of it. Cities as a rule in many places have a certain type of culture in them, call it demographics if you will. I like to make fun of Austin but as a rule the people there are more educated and more inclined to be environmentally concerned than some other cities. They as a rule exercise more often. At least according to the data I have read and heard about different cities. Which I think is skewed because these same reports and research more or less call people like me uneducated idiots. I wonder if any of the reflects on what goes down the drain and the amount of it in the bio sludge. I think I answered my own question. Some time ago they spread the stuff out on the park grounds have a concert and a bunch of people broke out in a rash. from what I read it was traced back to the Dillo Dirt. What a person does in their own garden is their own business.

September 8, 2016	#53
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	if you didn't know, it probably wouldn't bother you. I could see a top soil additive (and have seen used in Killeen, Tx), but more questions than answers for garden, esp. if beds are raised or contained. think there would be better sources, imo. government and quality control are both things that do not bode confidence.

September 8, 2016	#54
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	I sure don't know anything about the composition of sludge's and what is good or not, but I can tell you that a friend bought this place and in the back yard they had an area that had sludge and waste soil. There were bunches of tomato plants growing in it. Since the plants looked healthy, my friend decided to let the plants grow. The plants themselves looked healthy and grew large and things looked ok until the fruits came on. The tomatoes were deformed. You could just about see completely through them and they were a weird color I can't even describe. The outside of the tomatoes were like all pocked up. They reminded me of somebody with the worst case of acne you could think of. I helped my friend pull up and destroy all those plants before one of the grandkids got some and ate them and possibly got sick. I had saved a couple of tomatoes to take over to the lab for testing, but I just never found the time to make the 4 hour drive and threw them out before somehow my crops got infected with something. You could always give the stuff a try, but If it was me, I think I would do just a small section and plant it and see what happens, especially if it involves my food. Free sometimes isn't always a good thing. Good luck on whatever you try.

September 8, 2016	#60
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	If there's a Fukushima Daisy, surely there could be a Fukushima mater, right?