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"Your #1 source for information about how to compost."
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 HOW TO COMPOST An Overview Getting Started Making Decisions Systems (Methods) Making Compost What a Good Pile Needs What You Need Extras & Additives What to Use - or Not! Building the Pile Maintenance When is it Finished? Troubleshooting Outdoor Digesters Anaerobic Aerobic Indoor Methods Vermicomposting (Worms) Bokashi Using Compost Just Do It Composting Science Physics Chemistry Biology Soil Science More Than Just Dirt Garden Soil Myth Busting Environmental Issues Garbage Gripes Water & Soil Remediation Nutrient Pollution Harmful Chemicals A Few Concerns Pathogens Pesticides Heavy Metals What You Can Do Additional Resources  |
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Contaminated Compost Compared to crossing the street, compost is pretty darned safe. But even compost can cause serious health problems. Some of these problems, such as the fungal diseases, afflict very few people. Others, like the pathogens, are far more likely to occur in manures than in compost.Pesticides and heavy metals turn up more often in municipal composts than home brews, but do not take this for granted. Some pesticides persist longer and travel farther than one might think possible. A fungicide used on your land before you lived there, or a pesticide that drifts from someone else's property, can potentially end up in your garden, your grass and plants, and eventually your compost. Also, gardens established on former industrial sites can contain contaminated soil. Even if the soil itself isn't added to compost, plants grown in it may carry the contaminants into compost. The list of problems is relatively short and the probability of occurrence small. But the risks are real. Some of the chemicals and pathogens involved are quite nasty, so it's a good idea to be aware of them. Once you know about the potential hazards, you can take preventative steps which are discussed in the final section of this site, Practice Safe Composting, and summarized in an overview at its end. |
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