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

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 20:54:42 -0700

You are talking about land application of supernate which is at least secon=
dary processing. Supernate is tested and must show < .02 pathogens before =
it can be land applied. If they are violating EPA you have a dandy law sui=
t. See, states can make harsher rules but they can't make looser rules. I=
f it's in CA and it is legal application, I would be less worried about pat=
hogens than about heavy metals and endrocine distruptors (your wife/girlfri=
ends estrogen pill or other hormonal treatment.). See, metals can only be =
diluted. As far as I know, there is no process to deal with metals like th=
ere is to deal with pathogens. Endrocine disruptors have only been identif=
ied as a problem in the past 5 to 7 years and the problem is growing becaus=
e there is no method to process them out of anything they are in. They are=
 now showing up in drinking water and I think that RO maybe gets them but I=
 am not 100% sure of this. Salinas is in CA and the rules covering land ap=
p. of biosolids is covered by EPA and Cal EPA. I have the document referen=
ces if you need them.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: dkemnitz2000
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 3:51 PM
  Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Pathogen, Biosolids and the CTTF Report


  --- 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 Wed Apr 28 2004 - 01:10:59 EDT

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