Kitchen Garden Forum

Using new fangled non-peat based compost may damage your health.

"Specialists are now investigating whether recent changes to compost formulas might be to blame as manufacturers move away from traditional peat-based growing media."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18206191

Barney

So it's not just bad for plants!

Hi Barney,
Thank you for the timely warning.
I know that composters are importing sugarcane waste because they simply cannot get sufficient material to baulk out their products so perhaps some of this waste material is coming from Austilasia who knows!
I wonder what Dr Knight will have to say on the subject!
I will have a bet that he will remain silent.
I also wonder how much carbon fuel is being used to transport these waste products to the UK. Seems to me that we don't use peat here to lock up everybody elses carbon. Coir from India and Shrilanka must amount for an awful amount of carbon.
These produts should have the footprint of the products contained within stated on the packaging and then we would be able to detemine for ourselves what we buy.
The whole peat-free saga becomes more of a farce with each and every day.
Just out of interest this is how things are panning out. A local small garden centre has had to put their products containing any peat at the far end of the centre and not with all the other composts because of the anti-peat police. There was a threat to trash the centre by persons unknown unless their demands were met. I understand several bags of Vitax Q4 were slashed as a declaration of intent!
JB.

The report doesn't say that it is non-peat based compost that has caused these outbreaks, it just wonders if these different formulations might be to blame. With only a tiny number of cases, and only some of these being gardeners, and it only being in Scotland, it is hardly a major health hazard.

Also if the disease is carried on minute water droplets that are breathed in I wouldn't think that washing your hands before eating (which most sensible people do anyway when gardening) would make any difference. It sounds more likely that they have breathed in something in the moisture released when opening the bag, in which case you would be better advised to open new bags of compost outside and not put your face too near the compost.

I wonder what other rare new diseases are going to appear?

Hi Plumpudding,

Specialists are now investigating whether recent changes to compost formulas might be to blame as manufacturers move away from traditional peat-based growing media.

In the report it does give a pointer as above but on Radio 4 they had the medical officer for the area and he definitely said composts made from non peat mediums.
My eyesight maybe failing but my hearing is very good and I very clearly heard what was said.
JB.

Hi Johnboy,

It will be interesting to see whether or not the suspicion is proven.

I've wondered what actually goes into some of these composts because some of them smell awful when you open the bag, like drains or sewage. They aren't pleasant to handle either. They are supposed to be sterile but we have to rely on what the producer tells us.

Are they supposed to be sterile ? Does the bag say so ? New Horizons is clearly not, and Miracle grow is not - fungal mycelium clearly visible. Whether it is a problem or not, I'm not sure.

You've made me wonder now Tony. I've heard it said by compost producers that they ensure it reaches temperatures that kill off weed seeds and any other pathogens that could be present. Are they telling fibs, or would the legionaires spores need higher temperatures or other treatment.

Thinking about this, they could be present in any water added after the hot composting process, before being bagged up since it is a water borne disease.

Giant compost heaps used to recycle kitchen and garden waste collected by councils could pose a health risk, experts have warned.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... hemes.html

The "green waste" industry looks more risky than it cares to admit.

E. coli and salmonella at food compost firm WormTech

Perhaps it's not all as wonderful and "green" as some would have us believe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18920618