Bio-Solids and Secret Toxins
It’s always scary looking at labels on junk food. They’re rife with unpronounceable chemicals and altered foods such as hydrolyzed oils. These would go unmentioned if the government didn’t require detailed breakdown on exactly what’s used in the creation of edible products. And it’s this analysis that is used to determine whether or not a food product contains substances the USDA has deemed unhealthy for humans.
The world of organic foods and certified organic growers provides alternatives to consumers unwilling to ingest the sometimes dubious ingredients of processed food. Those who are hoping to save money on organic produce by growing their own may cultivate the soil, or use raised beds filled with soil products. These bagged soil products include potting soil and branded amendments designed to bring organic matter and nutrients to soil that is lacking.
If you study food labels for undesirable additives, be sure to check the soil products equally well. Most simply state the contents include peat or forest products. There may also be compost. But don’t assume this is the compost you’re familiar with. It may be simply an abbreviation for “composted bio-solids”. Most folks have never heard of bio-solids before. This is the modern term for sewage sludge, a byproduct of the water treatment plants. While human waste is not appealing, it has long been used in Asia as fertilizer known as “night soil”. But what goes into today’s sewer is more than that. Sludge contains virtually any chemical or pesticide or toxin that’s flushed or poured down the drain.
What makes bio-solids fertile is that nitrogen and phosphorous in treatment plants tends to concentrate into the solids, and so do heavy metals and a dozen different toxins that are part of our everyday life. The use of bio-solids could be a wonderful way to recycle if it weren’t for the toxins. When bio-solids are composted before inclusion into the soil product, there may no longer be problems with dangerous bacteria. However, composting has never been recommended for removal of toxins. In response to inquiry about the safety of bio-solid soil products in school gardens, scientific analysis using a mass spectrometer definitively proved what remained in the material that could be problematic. When used in the same location over many seasons, these chemicals and metals may actually increase their residual concentrations within a garden. Among the toxins shown to be present in bio-solid soil products are dioxin, arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, selenium, and occasionally cyanide.
It’s clear that when bio-solids are added to soil products, there is a risk of introducing these potentially dangerous toxins to your homesite. Where children and pets play, and where plants are grown for food, the toxins can accumulate in the soil after repeated applications. And just as plants take up specific nutrients, food plants can also pick up these toxins and pass them along to your dinner table. But if you stick with soil products that are bio-solid free, you won’t have a care in the world.
Black Gold soil products are both clean and organic with absolutely no bio-solids. You can use as much as you want without concerns for toxicity. Black Gold Garden Compost is OMRI listed, which certifies that it is chemical free. You might pay a little more for Black Gold, but that’s because it costs more to create soil products without bio-solids. Black Gold fertilizers, potting soils and amendments contain only top quality organic ingredients with no secret substances added to more cheaply boost fertility.
As a consumer, be aware of what’s in your organic potting soil or soil products and amendments. Question exactly what kind of compost is used. Inquire about the possible presence if bio-solids. Failing to do so could mean that every year you add amendments to fortify your soil, you could be adding ever more toxins as well. Trust your garden to Black Gold and you can be sure it’s toxin free today, tomorrow and ten years from now.
Comments