[USCC] Blue mold in compost

Tue May 15 09:49:00 CDT 2007

Dear Kevin et al.:

I don't have any help with you specific question and expect others have
information to help.

I think your message raises an issue we all need to keep in mind. And
I'm not being critical of your note but the casual use of the word
composting. Under the conditions you note, the mixture of woody
materials, fecal materials and residual feeds are not really composting.
Over a long period of incubation, aerobic metabolism is doing its job
and the OM is stabilized pretty well. But that is not evidence that
composting temperatures are reached. It is the thermophilic temperatures
reached that achieve the pathogen reduction we trust composting to
provide. I don't have a separate word for what is happening in the zoo
enclosure, but I think we all have to keep that stabilization separate
from our understanding of "composting" and our management of composting
technology.

Regards,

Rufus Chaney
Beltsville, MD

-----Original Message-----
From: compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com
[mailto:compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com] On Behalf Of Kevin
Donnelly
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 9:12 AM
To: compost at mailman.cloudnet.com
Subject: [USCC] Blue mold in compost

Participate in the Annual International Compost Awareness Week May 6,
2007 to May 12, 2007
This year's theme is "The Possibilities are Endless ... Compost!"
For more info, go to: http://compostingcouncil.org/section.cfm?id=25 or
Call the USCC at 631-737-4931
________________________________________________________________________
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I am working on an interesting situation with a customer of mine.  We
are supplying redwood bark nuggets to the lincoln park zoo to be used in
their gorilla exhibit.  It is being used in essence as a bulking agent
to compost the fecal and vegetable waste that the animals generate.
There is approx 3 ft of material present as the floor and on a regular
basis things are turned under and the idea is it will slowly be
composted down. There are a few other zoos doing the same thing.  

  Here is the dilemma.  The redwood bark has Penicilium mold on it right
out of the bags we send.  They are concerned for possible health
hazards, which is understandable.  There are some areas that have a
mixture of pine and redwood, but the redwood only exhibit has the mold.
Penicilium is an omni-present fungal spore, so we may not be able to
prevent it from being on the bark.  Among other avenues of solutions I
figured I would pose the question to all of you.

  In composting of vegetable matter, or bulking agents such as redwood
bark, would the natural balance of the composting present cause a
decline of the blue mold? Are there conditions in composting that favor
or inhibit blue mold growth?  Maybe adding active compost to the mix
would help.  Are there any other ideas that may help lead me to some
sort of solution?

  Thanks for you help.
  Kevin Donnelly
  Quality Control Supervisor
  Midwest Trading
  edtamias at yahoo.com
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