RE: Lawn Fertilizers and Milorganite

I was involved in a thread a few months ago concerning the toxic metals in Milorganite. If you go to the link Judy Bygd posted on fertilizers recently you will find that Milorganite is very high in heavy metals. If your soil were 100% Milorganite in Washington state your arsenic level would be at the state threshold for a toxic waste site. Your lead level would be at 50% of the state level for a toxic waste site. If you look at the abundance of other fertilizers available and listed at this great web site you will find that there are hundreds of other fertilizers that do not contain anywhere close to these levels of toxic metals.
 
I am sure you will find almost all municipal waste sewage sludge contains similar levels of toxic metals. I am a member of the Delaware Association of Composters and I can tell you that there is a huge push to get consumer acceptance to using these waste products in their yards and gardens. Some of these fertilizers contain  waste products from various sources that cost huge amounts to dispose. The companies get paid for taking the raw materials that go into their products in many cases. We have a huge coal burning electricity producer in our area that has a member on the board of DAC. His goal is to get coal ash that contains large amounts of mercury into our composting stream. Guess what? He has been successful. It it's undiluted form this ash is a toxic waste. Mixed with compost and sewage sludge it meets state standards for sale to consumers.
 
It is important to note that all states in the USA have waste products that cost lots to get rid of. Some of these people are also involved in setting the standards for what can be sold as compost.
 
Needless to say, I am not that popular at some of these meetings.
 
Is this really what you want in your yard?
 
Do you ever get soil on your hands?
 
Dan Nelson
Sussex Tree Inc.
 
 
 
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-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Judy Bygd

Subject: Lawn Fertilizers

The following site may be of interest to those of you who fertilize your lawns.  It helped me determine which of two brands of fertilizer to purchase for fall application.  One, a very popular brand, had quite toxic levels of arsenic, while the other had none.
 
The web site lists over 2,000 brands of fertilizer and indicates the levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead contained by each.  You may have to copy and paste the address if clicking on it doesn't work.
 
 
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