[compost_tea] Pathogen, Biosolids and the CTTF Report

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 22:19:09 -0700

Switchers. Yes, they are around but I am unsure of how many are actually i=
n compost and the soil. It is my understanding that most of these switcher=
s live in intestines and while they can tolerate small amounts of O2 don't =
do well in an environment like a brewer. I think UV fries them like it doe=
s all pathogens.

In the Waste Water industry, E. Coli and Salmonella are used as indicators.=
  If the test show < .02 or ND, they and all other pathogens are considered=
 non-detectable. The "less than" means that while none are found, there mi=
ght be some somewhere other than the sample. It's a way of saying: "We did=
n't find any but that doesn't mean they're not there." I think it's becaus=
e sleeping bacteria are different from dead or non-existant bacteria. One =
sleeping E. Coli can grow and populate if the environment is right and it's=
 the regrowth that seems to have people worried.

We witnessed pathogen regrowth in biosolids and we controlled them with com=
post tea.

Now, we used compost tea to control pathogens and my report states that. I=
 will say this again: "We used compost tea to control pathogens." And it w=
orked! Now, I have read all the posts on testing and everybody is wringing=
 their hands. Somebody should take the report I posted (If you want one, c=
ontact me and I will send one.) and go to their WWTP and see if they can ge=
t some money to duplicate what we did. I will even send the proposal. We =
need hard data that refutes those bogus tests used to formulate this policy=
.

I can hear people saying that biosolids are not compost. But if fecal colo=
forms can be controlled in composted biosolids it seems pretty obvious that=
 they can be controlled in composted anything.

I'm offering the reports and proposals as ammunition in this fight. If the=
 experiment done here can be duplicated and compost tea can be shown to rel=
iably control pathogen spikes, we have something with widespread use.

Already our WWTP has initiated a program, based on EW/SOE work, that has to=
tally changed how they process biosolids and how the plant operates. Peopl=
e, it works and it is documented so it can be repeated.

Let's get aggressive with this report and PROVE it wrong.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE



Received on Tue Apr 27 2004 - 10:50:34 EDT

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