Cleaning Up Oil…and Other Toxic Compounds
“Compost microorganisms not only convert organic material into humus, but they also degrade toxic chemicals into simpler, benign, organic molecules. These chemicals include gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, oil, grease, wood preservatives, PCBs, coal gasification wastes, refinery wastes, insecticides, herbicides, TNT, and other explosives.[1]
“In one experiment in which compost piles were laced with insecticides and herbicides, the insecticide (carbofuran) was completely degraded, and the herbicide (triazine) was 98.6% degraded after 50 days of composting. Soil contaminated with diesel fuel and gasoline was composted, and after 70 days in the compost pile, the total petroleum hydrocarbons were reduced approximately 93%.[2]…In the absence of composting, this biodegradation process normally takes years…
“Fungi in compost produce a substance that breaks down petroleum, thereby making it available as food for bacteria.[3] One man who composted a batch of sawdust contaminated with diesel oil said, “We did tests on the compost, and we couldn’t find the oil!” The compost had apparently “eaten” it all.[4] Fungi also produce enzymes that can be used to replace chlorine in the paper-making process. Researchers in
“…Compost is also used to filter stormwater runoff. Compost Stromwater Filters use compost to filter out heavy metals, oil, grease, pesticides, sediment, and fertilizers from stormwater runoff. Such filters con remove over 90% of all solids, 82% to 98% of heavy metals and 85% of oil and grease, while filtering up to eight cubic feet per second. These Compost Stormwater Filters prevent stormwater contamination from polluting our natural waterways.[6]”
[1]
[2] Haug, Roger T. (1993). The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering. P. 9. CRC Press, Inc.
[3]
[4] Logan, W.B. (1991). “Rot is Hot.” New York Times Magazine. 9/8/91, Vol. 140, Issue 4871. (p.46).
[5] Compost Fungi Used to Recover Wastepaper. Biocycle, Journal of Composting and Recycling, May 1998. p. 6
[6]
