[USCC] Are our composting disinfection techniques adequate?

Tue Aug 15 11:01:11 CDT 2006

RE: Antibiotic resistance and waste water treatment

 Normally I would ignore this, but feel a need to respond. To link the “epidemic” of drug resistance, and in particular antibiotic resistance, with wastewater treatment practices and imply that treated wastewater and biosolids are spreading virulent pathogens is a case of looking beyond the obvious for problems. To imply such links when there is so little scientific support is fear mongering. There is a general principal in science of Occam’s Razor that may be applicable here. Look to the most simple and thus most plausible solution. How we use and distribute antibiotics is the real issue behind increasing resistance. There is also very serious and increased concern about infections among those with reduced or impaired immune systems. May be we can find a way to attribute increased immune impaired individuals on the use of biosolids? 

Antibiotic resistance has been occurring since the first antibiotics were used. Look at the history of penicillin and the logarithmic increase in dosages that were required very soon after the drug was used on a wide scale. The “cause” of resistance is the increased use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are heavily used in agriculture and that link should continue to be researched before putting any significant attention on wastewater pathways. Antibiotic compounds are widely used now in commercial over the counter products (e.g. hand soaps) and such use should also be examined more carefully.  I believe that WEF is in fact researching the fate of these compounds in wastewater and residuals. I imagine that this research might put attention on banning widespread use of compounds that have little value and are being promoted to the public out of fear. 

We do know that antibiotics do pass through humans and can be detected in wastewater. It is possible to create a scenario that could hypothesize movement of drug resistance genes and the movement of drug resistance pathogens through wastewater and residuals to people. However it is absurd to focus research efforts and resources on this remote and speculative pathway, which may be of some academic interest, when more obvious mechanisms exist.  

As to processes used in composting facilities to reduce pathogens I have seen little evidence to suggest that the basic science used to establish time/temperature requirements is inadequate. It appears that over and over again we find that high temperatures extended over time do kill both plant and animal pathogens. Do genes survive and can we create hypothetical mechanisms that allow the dead bugs to arise anew as super bugs?  May be possible, but improbable and an implausible mechanism to explain what we see in our hospitals.  

There may be need for better enforcement regarding pathogen reduction procedures and that is an enforcement issue. I suspect that the first victims of rigorous review of practices and increased enforcement will not be the biosolids composting facilities but the small manure, farm and yard waste operations. Be careful what you wish for.  

P.S. I am still amazed at how often the careful hand washing is recommended to be the most cost effective solution to control the spread of infectious agents. 

Geoff Kuter, Ph.D.

>From: Maureen Reilly <maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca>
>Date: 2006/08/13 Sun PM 08:50:09 CDT
>To: compost at compostingcouncil.org
>Subject: [USCC] Are our composting disinfection techniques adequate?

>U.S. COMPOSTING COUNCIL 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW
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>
>Dear Compost Collegues
>
>There is an epidemic of antibiotic resistant pathogens that is killing off people in astonishing numbers in North American hospitals.
>The question is: what is the role of the sewage treatment plant in creating antibiotic resistant pathogens?  What what is the role of effluent and sludge from these plants 
>in spreading those virulent pathogens into the environment?
>
>The National Academy of Science told the EPA to research this question.  EPA has not.
>
>Next question:
>
>Are the pathogen management technologies  at sewage treatment plants adequate ?  
>
>Are the current methods of pathogen control through composting adequate to manage these pathogens?  
>
>I get phoned by many people who are sickened and attribute it to sludge.  The industry and the EPA have both failed to investigate any of these cases.
>The spread of disease and the study of epidemiology needs to address all the above issues.  But the EPA has refused to do such an investigation, and so has the Water Environment Federation.  
>
>Times have changed. Pathogens are more virulent.  
>
>We no longer sterilize our medical instruments the way we used to. The old techniques for dental drills, for scopes, for a wide variety of instruments is no longer adequate to 
>disinfect against new pathogens.
>
>So why would we assume that these extra virulent diseases can be effectively managed with old- fashioned technologies?  In many of my posts, I have pointed out that many of the companies that are claiming to 'compost' these pathogenic sewage sludges, are not meeting the minimum requirements to achieve a legal 'compost'.  It is the role of government to set adequate standards to protect public health and safety.  In the case of sewage sludge - they have not done so.  It is not the role of environmentalists to replace the American public health system.  It is our role to comment with diligence on inadequate or dangerous practices.
>
>So without adequate research, without adequate compost techniques, and without accountability from the wastewater industry, how can we meet the public requirement for  safe. clean, quality soil and soil ammendments?
>
>Maureen Reilly
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