Subject: Compost fungi and allergies

From: Marsha Hanzi <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 09:11:55 -0300

Dear friends at the list:
    I just received a letter from a person who  is implanting a garden
in a  kindergarden  using compost of horse manure and straw, and a heavy
mulch of cut grass.  One of the children has presented respiratory
problems, and this child's father has suggested that the culpit may be
the fungi involved in the decomposition process of the garden.
(However, the children were also exposed to dust  about the same time).
Have any of you heard about allergic reactions  to these fungi?   I
would appreciate the information, which I shall pass on to the person
involved.

Thank you very much.

Marsha Hanzi
Instituto de Permacultura da Bahia

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From: Skye <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 23:09:02 -0600

Hola Marsha

Don't know the scientific name for the culprit, but I have experienced
fungal problems like you described. Many years ago I was composting
large volumes of sheep manure, mixed with waste straw bedding and sea
grass. The dry summers (this was in Aust) I sometimes found that when I
turned the heap, the whole bulk looked very grey and dry. This was a
fungus that seemed to prefer the slightly drier conditions. When
disturbed (by turning) it rapidly formed a very fine dust cloud which
frequently gave me slight problems with hay fever and conjuntivitus
(both reactions to dust, pollen etc). I eventually avoided this problem
by simply taking more care with the moisture levels during the dry
periods. I found that as long as the heap was kept moist enough, this
particular form of fungus didn't occur, or at least wasn't so prolific
and problem causing.

Maybe that helps!!
Love
Skye 
-- 
Skye - Apdo # 391,  Patzcuaro, Michoacan, CP. 61600 México. 
fax  (52) 01 (434) 24743
Profesor y diseñador en Permacultura
Director del Instituto de Permacultura de México A.C.
Talleres de desarrollo humano, planeación participativa y 
economía comunitaria.

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From: stephan leimroth <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 22:13:34 -0400 (EDT)

hi, marsha,

while transfering some oak and pine tree chips from a
chipping truck to my smaller vehicle, my friend and i
were both exposed to airbone fungal spores (a visible
cloud that looked like steam).  while i spent a
feverish, worried night, my friend experienced what he
described as an hallucinatory experience (i think just
a high-fever experience) that, in the end, i think he
enjoyed.
i don't know if we suffer any longer term effects from
that one exposure, but i don't doubt that one would
from repeated exposure.

bye,
stephan

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