[Greenbuilding] Compost issues

[Speireag Alden]

Sgrìobh Leslie Moyer:

>Speireag Alden wrote:
>>  For humanure, ideally, you run a hot compost pile which kills human
>>  pathogens. I'm guessing that such an environment would be inimical to
>>  worms.
>
>Actually, earthworms also kill (eat) human pathogens (I read about an
>EPA study on this, but I can't find it now), which is why adding them to
>humanure seems logical.  In any composting, there will be "hot spots"
>but as long as there was a cooler area for the worms to retreat to (i.e.
>as long as the containment was big enough), they could live in harmony
>with the heat and it could even be a benefit in cold weather (keeping
>the pile warm enough to support earthworm activity in the cold).  But I
>don't really know how it would work in real life....I'm just guessing!
>An experiment is in order....

     When I build my pile, I try to arrange matters so that all parts 
of the pile reach lethal temps and times for human pathogens.  If I'm 
doing it right, there would be no place for worms to retreat, except 
perhaps into the ground.

     I have no doubt that earthworms kill human pathogens, but I doubt 
that they do it as comprehensively as prolonged heat.

     That said, it would be very interesting to innoculate a cooling 
pile with worms and see what happens.

-Speireag.

-- 
A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true 
value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary 
pain.
--Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)