[USCC] does composting remove chemicals, etc?

Wed Jun 25 16:42:43 CDT 2008

You could test the raw stuff and then test the composted material....
but re 'chemicals' being degraded and changed in the composting process, I 
remember from my degree that bacterialogical reduction in different sorts of 
Pasteurisation was dependent on the temperature AND time held at that 
temperature, so a certain level of bacterial reduction could be achieved by 
a lower temperature for a longer time, or a higher temperature for a shorter 
time.  My guess (and it is only a hunch which could be investigated?) is 
that some man-made compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, would be degraded at 
different speeds at different temperatures. My hunch is that the longer the 
material sits at high temperatures, the greater the break-down of 
temperature-sensitive compounds.
Hope that this adds to this interesting discussion, despite the lack of hard 
evidence!
John Cossham
johncossham at tiscali.co.uk

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "PJ Binder" <pj.binder at verizon.net>
To: "'Compost Discussion List'" <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2:53 AM
Subject: Re: [USCC] does composting remove chemicals, etc?

Ok I see your point
But with bio solids how do we know what is in it to start with and what it
ends up turning into?

PJ Binder Landscaping
po box 454
Broomall, PA 19008
pj.binder at verizon.net

-----Original Message-----
From: compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com
[mailto:compost-bounces at mailman.cloudnet.com] On Behalf Of john cossham
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 2:14 PM
To: Compost Discussion List
Subject: Re: [USCC] does composting remove chemicals, etc?

I may be accused of being pedantic, but EVERYTHING is made of 'chemicals'
and therefore this thread is a bit meaningless to a chemist.  Some chemicals

are changed into others during composting, ie ammonia may be split into
nitrogen and combine with O2 to make water vapour... and long-chain
carbohydrates are degraded into sugars and fermented into carbon dioxide etc

etc, so when talking about 'chemicals' can you be more specific please?
Thanks!
John 'the composter' Cossham, York, UK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynda Brushett" <brushett at metrocast.net>
To: <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 8:10 PM
Subject: [USCC] does composting remove chemicals, etc?

> Gary and others, If the manure goes through a digester, I understand
> chemicals and pathogen are destroyed in the process,  meaning that  solids

> separated from the effluent are free of pathogens and  chemicals and in
> turn produce a clean compost.   Is this not the  case?  Lynda
>
> On Jun 20, 2008, at 1:00 PM, compost-request at mailman.cloudnet.com wrote:
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>    1. Does composting rid of chemicals in manure? (Will Brinton)
>>
>> From: Will Brinton <wfbr17 at woodsend.org>
>> Date: June 18, 2008 4:32:13 PM EDT
>> To: Compost Discussion List <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
>> Subject: [USCC] Does composting rid of chemicals in manure?
>> Reply-To: Compost Discussion List <compost at mailman.cloudnet.com>
>>
>>
>> Gary-
>>
>> did anyone reply to your concern?
>>
>> I just reviewed a research paper from the Institute of Hygiene and
>> Public Health, Bonn, Germany. It concludes that many antibiotics in
>> manure do survive in soil (after manure application) for up to 90  days,
>> and are therefore "relatively stable". It is now well known    that these

>> could be uptaked by plants, and passed along the food  chain. Others are
>> reported to have degraded rapidly. Composting  should be assumed to be
>> similar to soil and possibly better  (i.e.composting is not necessarily
>> faster in biodegradation).
>>
>> Interestingly, in the EU  annually about 15,000 tons of antibiotics  are
>> administered to humans and animals, the non-metabolized  fraction of
>> which will find its way via excretion into the  environment (mostly
>> biosolids and released wastewater, and of  course manures). I am sure the

>> quantities used are probably higher  in the USA for animals, and I am not

>> sure for humans. Your concern  should be pursued until more information
>> on composting is obtained.  See also the early forerunner paper (before
>> use of antibiotics got  really intense):
>>
>> Vogtman, H.; W. Obrist, K. Hauser, H. P. P f i r t e r a n d F.
>> Augstburger, 1978. Compost Science/Land Utilization. "Cornposting  and
>> Plant Growth: Use o f c h i c k e n  M a n u r e  c o n t a i n  i n g  a

>> n t i b i o t i c s "
>> Will Brinton
>>
>> Gary Bright wrote:
>>> Today I was asked this question from a watch-dog agency in Michigan;
>>> "How do you treat the 168 chemicals in the manure and the growth
>>> hormones
>>> and antibiotics" ?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> -- 
>> Woods End Laboratories
>> - Bioenergy &  Biocompost Testing -
>> Mt Vernon ME 04352
>> www.woodsend.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> Lynda Brushett, Ph. D.
> Cooperative Development Institute
> 603-664-5838
> www.cdi.coop
>
>
>
>
>

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