Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: Kitty
To: Melody
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 7:30 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] did you know
Well, of course, the retail site wasn't going to mention toxicity unless
it
was required to do so. However, throughout your message, you mention
contamination with perchlorate. But what exactly does it do to our soil
and
water that we should fear?
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: Melody
To: gardenchat@hort.net ; kmrsy@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] did you know
Unfortunately it seems that the research you are reporting on has
omitted
the one drawback to South American bat guano...it contains high levels
of an
extremely toxic chemical called perchlorate. Interestingly enough,
perchlorate is also a common ingredient in ammunition manufacturing as
well as
in rocket fuel used by the military and was also used as a storage
medium for
the spent byproducts of nuclear weapons manufacturing (i.e. uranium and
plutonium). One of the largest world exporters of bat guano at the turn
of
the 19th century was Chile and Chilean bat guano is the only place in
nature
where perchlorate occurs naturally. All over the US there are
groundwater and
deep level aquifers polluted by this substance that takes over a century
to
break down into harmless nitrogen, oxygen, and carbons. And once the
groundwater becomes polluted, it can leach into the soil above and
around it.
Many of you may remember that our groundwater here in Hills, IA (pop.
679) is
contaminated with perchlorate. EPA still has not nailed down a source
other
than possibly the fireworks displays we do once a year (yeah, that's
what they
say but hydrogeologist friends of mine on the West Coast dispute this
claim,
stating that the declining levels of perchlorate in our water/soil
indicate a
rate of decay that would point to a contamination far earlier than when
these
displays started.) Another very likely source of conamination could
possibly
be Chilean bat guano as American farmers were heavy users of this as a
fertilizer well into the early half of the 1900's. Because of the heavy
use
of perchlorate by the military, much of the information about
perchlorate is
difficult to track down unless you know where to look.
Blessings in Christ's mercy,
Melody
"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station,
through
which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." ~George
Washington Carver
-----Original Message-----
From: "Kitty" [kmrsy@comcast.net]
Date: 08/02/2008 08:41 PM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] did you know
What prompted this research?
I needed to order some more natural amendments and I usually get them
from
Nitron. While perusing Nitron's list, I came across Bat Guano, which
gave me
a laugh because...
While at work a couple of weeks ago 2 women I don't know came up from
another office to see our Chief Deputy and the woman at the desk behind
me.
When they finished talking shop one mentioned her bat houses and
started
telling them all about bat guava. I just had to interupt her and
correct
guava to guano, guava being a fruit. They were all amazed and not quite
believing that anyone would collect it or that it had valuable
properties,
so of course I explained that I use cricket crap for my bulbs. That
really
had them going!
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: "james singer" <islandjim1@comcast.net>;
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>;
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] did you know
Interesting. What prompted this research? When I was 9 or 10, guano
imports from South America were still a big deal. I remember learning
about it in probably the 4th grade.
On Aug 2, 2008, at 12:02 PM, Kitty wrote:
The history of Bat Guano and American Expansion
Stemming from the Incan language (Quichua) for "bird droppings", guano
is thought to have been used for centuries in both South American and
Pacific Islander civilizations. The Incas discovered that bat
rookeries
established on nearby island chains contained vast amounts of this
excellent soil fertilizer, which were easily accessible and provided
amazing results when used on corn and bean crops. Spanish explorers
took
both the word and the practice back with them to Europe. Guano soon
became a valuable commodity, rivaling only gold in its value as an
import of the new world.
Later, American farmers eagerly took to using Bat Guano as well, with
Congress going so far as establishing the Guano Island Act in 1856.
This
act secured future guano supplies by allowing ocean islands to be
claimed as territories in the name of harvesting guano. Incidentally,
many currently owned American Territories were established in this
manner such as Johnson Atoll and the famous Midway Island, which
served
as an important forward base of operations during World War II.
It wasn't until after the invention of gunpowder that early chemists
discovered that components of bat guano also lent itself to the
production of powerful explosives. Guano harvesting was increased as
the
military found a new use for the unorthodox fertilizer. Bat guano
operations began to spring up all across the world, from the remote
corners of New Zealand to the depths of the Grand Canyon, and they
have
continued in production ever since.
Today, Bat guano is still in use as both a fertilizer and a component
of
some ammunitions. Bat guano has even been taken into space aboard the
Mercury and Gemini space capsules, and was used as the propellant to
deploy the radio transmission antennas after splashdown. Bat guano may
have originally been a discovery of the ancients, but its usefulness
for
modern society can still be seen today.
I bet Cathy knew all this.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
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Island Jim
Willamette Valley
44.99 N 123.04 W
Elevation 148'
Hardiness Zone 8/9
Heat Zone 5
Sunset Zone 6
Minimum 0 F [-15 C]
Maximum 86 F [30 C]
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