[compost_tea] Re: Pathogen, Biosolids and the CTTF Report

From: dkemnitz2000 <dkemnitz2000_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 22:51:09 -0000
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Ted Peterson"
<ted.peterson_at_t...> wrote:
> Switchers.  Yes, they are around but I am unsure of how many are
actually in compost and the soil.  It is my understanding that most
of these switchers 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 does 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 might be some somewhere other than the
sample.  It's a way of saying: "We didn't find any but that doesn't
mean they're not there."


<><><><<<><><<<>When a product is tested a very small sample is taken
and only 1 to 100 grams of that is used. Many assumptions are made
from that small sample and the testing method used.  When ND is
reported it also means nothing is found in the small sample but the
rest of the tanker (the rest of the 40,000 to 80,000 pounds)MAY have
some thing of concern.  It also has to do with the accuracy of the
testing method used.  And they assume the  1 gram sample represents
the whole amount. IE the sample is uniformly mixed and
pathogens/indicators are evenly dispersed in the whole 40,000 to
80,000 pounds.  And there are more assumptions as well probably
mostly valid But still assumptions!Dennis





I think it's because 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 compost 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 worked!  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, contact me and I will send
one.) and go to their WWTP and see if they can get 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 coloforms 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 reliably control pathogen spikes, we have something
with widespread use. 
>
> Already our WWTP has initiated a program, based on EW/SOE work,
that has totally changed how they process biosolids and how the plant
operates.  People, 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


Thanks Ted for the report and work. I'm somewhat limited with
equipment so will have to discuss with you how to approach WWTP. Here
in Salina they pour liquid waste (probably sludge)on the fields after
dark next door to where I work .  Wonder what coliform count is on
that field and nearby roads and crops.  Maybe more in the air during
application. I have no idea of it's pH or contents which would hold
microbes in check. The wheat plants sure are black at harvest when
straw is supposed to be golden colored .        Dennis





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Received on Tue Apr 27 2004 - 19:41:02 EDT

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