I’m a strong supporter in real solutions. In every aspect of our lives, the natural environment continually surprises me with its resilience and persistence. The more our society pollutes, the more I search for the natural component that’s ready to step to the plate and heal the wounds inflicted by so many unconscious decisions.
The BP oil spill left me again looking for its healing counterpart. I’d remembered reading it somewhere: the eater and healer of petroleum hydrocarbons, but the “what” continued to allude me. As solution driven as always, I finally came across the “what” that I had once read, and I decided to share it with my fellow seekers.
Hidden in one of my most beloved books, The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins, I reread the sought remembrance on pages 56-59 under Compost Miracles.
“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 Ireland have discovered that fungi gathered from compost heaps can provide a cheap and organic alternative to toxic chemicals.[5]
“…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]”