Re: Pathogen Report MS Word Doc Re: [compost_tea] Re: CT on NOSB Agenda!

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 09:00:52 -0800

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Lowenfels
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: Pathogen Report MS Word Doc Re: [compost_tea] Re: CT on NOSB A=
genda!


I saw nothing in the report that supports the idea that tea made at 70 degr=
ees is less effective than tea at 60 degrees in dealing with pathogens. I g=
et better fungal numbers at 70 degrees and by that I suspect better diversi=
ty. Everything I've read is that it is the aeration, not the temperature (w=
ithin range) that counts when it comes to dealing with pathogens in tea. =
 

In short, I get better teas at 70 than 60 and have had my best at 74 if mem=
ory serves me.

Jeff
Jeff:

They are two separate things. This was a report detailing compost tea to c=
ontrol pathogens in biosolids. I have to get the tests from the WWTP then =
I can write about brewing. Brewing the tea was only one part of the progra=
m to control pathogens in drying bed sludge. I guess you didn't find it in=
formative on that level. But no problem, the information you want will be =
uploaded after I get and compile the tests. If you are getting great tea a=
t higher temps, you may want to disregard the data though. It seems like y=
ou have a solid program that is working for you.

None of the projects I do has to do with brewing per se. All my projects a=
re designed around using tea to change existing methodologies. In the proc=
ess of brewing tea for the projects, and I brew a lot of tea, I started to =
notice certain things. For example, you will notice that part of the goal =
of this project was to control the pathogen spike that has been witnessed a=
fter composted biosolids had dried then hydrated. This wasn't an original =
goal though but one that showed up in our tetesting. I then started posit=
ing hypotheses based on what caused the spike when there was no mention in =
either EPA or British Columbia. However, notice that in the test piles tre=
ated with compost tea, there was no spike. Now, all that tea was brewed i=
n the 60+ dF range and that tea tested ND for pathogens. The tea was the o=
nlv variable that could control those outbreaks. Now, most (not all) patho=
gens grow in the 75+ dF range. Any microbiology book will contain that inf=
ormation. So how do I brew aerobes without the environment that promotes p=
athogens? I tried lowering temps and found that the WWTP tests showed redu=
ced or controlled pathogens but showed higher pathogens at higher temps. I=
 tried foods too but the pathogens tested consistent with temps.

Maybe you have a different conclusion for this behavior but since it happen=
s on a consistent basis, I tend to believe that something is going on to co=
ntrol pathogen growth. Temperature is the only variable that can account f=
or that change as far as I can tell. Maybe you have a better answwer than t=
he one I came up with. If so, please share it because, as of now, I am pre=
tty covinced that my method works. I am open to having that opinion change=
d with better data. If you have data the refutes my findings, I will welco=
me it and be perfectly willing to adopt it into my methodology.

You mentioned fungal growth. My program only dealt with controlling pathog=
ens. I am still not 100% sure it is bacteria or fungi that do most of the =
work although I have supposition that it is a proportional combination of t=
he two and some nematodes as well. But I have no data that shows definitiv=
ely any one direction.

Thanks for taking the time to review the report.

Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth



Received on Tue Mar 02 2004 - 13:36:24 EST

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