MANURE COMPOST AND SEAFOOD PROCESSING WASTE CONTAMINANT STUDY REPORT

BY

MILES MCEVOY WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOR - r -17

k CLEAN WASHINGTON CENTER WASHINGTON STATE

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELO ENT , x ~

SEPTEMBER, 1992

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ABSTRACT

Selected manure composts and seafood processing wastes were analyzed for a variety of potential contaminants including heavy metals, semi-volatile organics, organochlorine pesticides and sulfamethazine. processing waste included dairy manure, poultry fryer manure, feedlot manure, horse manure, fish meal, seed screenings, crab meal, and shrimp meal. Laboratory analysis established that heavy metals were present below the levels of concern that have been proposed by various regulatory agencies. Semi-volatile organics and organochlorine pesticides were either undetected or present at such low levels to fall below levels of concern. The antibiotic sulfamethazine was detected in 6 out of 9 samples. The sulfamethazine results are highly suspect as the highest levels were found in ocean caught crab and shrimp meal. Further testing is needed to determine the cause of the sulfamethazine results. The absence of any significant contaminants in manure composts and seafood processing waste indicates that the use of these materials should be unrestricted as long as good agronomic practices are followed.

Feedstocks of the composts and seafood

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INTRODUCTION

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is responsible for regulating the organic food industry in Washington State. This includes determining which materials are approved for use in organic food production. In general those materials from natural sources such as manure, compost, and rock minerals are approved for use whereas synthetic materials such as urea, ammonium nitrate, and superphosphate are prohibited.

In 1991, WSDA began a program to approve specific brand name materials for organic food production. This program involves evaluating specific input materials for their compliance with the organic crop production standards. One material currently being evaluated is Cedar Grove Compost, a yard waste compost. This material has undergone extensive testing for heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds. Results of these tests indicated that there were low levels of various contaminants including semi-volatile organics and chlorinated hydrocarbons present in the final compost. It was found in trying to compare these contaminant levels to non-urban based composts that very little information was available.

The presence of these compounds in yard waste compost led us to wonder whether non-urban based natural materials, namely animal manure and seafood processing waste, had similar levels of contaminants, or if these non-urban materials were free of these compounds.

For years concerns have been raised about the "cleanliness" of manure and other natural soil amendments used by organic farmers. Questions about whether conventional manure sources contain antibiotic residues or other contaminants have repeatedly been raised. Some European organic certification standards have prohibited the use of manure that comes from non-organic farms partly because of the concern over pesticide and antibiotic residues.

Contamination by heavy metals and other compounds in agricultural input materials has not been adequately addressed. Few studies have been done on contaminants in animal manures or seafood processing wastes. An analysis of cow manure d-5 not indicate any contaminant problems (Furr et al, 1976) though a recent report suggests that agricultural input materials should be monitored and regulated for heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides (Cal Recovery Systems, 1990).

The purpose of the study was to determine if heavy metals, antibiotics, pesticides, or petrochemical compounds are present in composted animal manure and seafood processing waste at levels that would be detrimental to the environment, human or animal health. The study focuses on the natural soil amendments and

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b . fertilizers produced from animal production facilities and the seafood industry. The results will help decision makers propose guidelines which will assure the quality of commercially- available compost and provide for public safety and environmental health.

SAMPLE SITES AND FEEDSTOCKS OF MANURE COMPOSTS AND SEAFOOD PROCESSING WASTE

1. Washington Crab Producers - crab meal. Westport, WA. The crabs are harvested off the west coast of Washington in the Pacific Ocean. Crab meal consists of shell and viscera of crabs processed at the Westport facility. No antibiotics or other additives are used in the production of the crab meal. The crab meal is sold as a soil amendment or as a component of fish or animal feed.

2. Washington Crab Producers - shrimp meal. Westport, WA. Shrimp are harvested off the west coast of Washington in the Pacific Ocean. The by-products of the shrimp are ground up to make the shrimp meal. in the production of the shrimp meal. Shrimp meal is sold as a soil amendment or feed supplement.

sawdust, feedlot manure and dairy manure. Dairy manure may contain some bedding straw. Feedlot manure is usually well-aged, as long as 5-6 years, before Evergreen products receives it. Manure is dumped in windrows with sawdust. After initial mixing product is kept at a minimum of 130 degrees F for 6 weeks. If temperature drops then pile is turned. Manager estimates that piles are turned at least 4 times. Final product is about 9 months old and is screened before bagging to remove rocks and larger wood chips. Manure sources include Shakkes feedlot in Ellensburg, Van De Graff feedlot in Sunnyside, and Monson Cattle Co. in Selah.

No antibiotics or other additives are used

3. Evergreen Products. Parker, WA. Feedstock consists of

4. Jack Lincoln. Granger, WA. Feedstock consists of 80% cattle manure, 20% fir chips. Fir chips come from Naches lumber mill. Feedlot manure comes from Riehl and Arstein in Granger, Monson Cattle Co. in Sunnyside, and Van De Graff in Sunnyside. Material is composted in windrows 4 ' high by 12' wide. Temperature is monitored every other day. A temperature of 140- 160 degrees is held for 10 weeks. Depending on moisture and ambient temperature pile may be turned 8 to 10 times. Final product is screened to remove rocks and large wood chips.

5. DeJong - chicken and chips garden compost. Redmond, WA. Feedstock consists of 25% chicken manure and 75% sawdust. Chicken manure comes from fryer farms in Snohomish county.

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Sawdust comes from area lumber mills. Occasionally horse manure is added from local farms. Compost is piled and turned on a weekly basis and ready in 1-3 months.

6. Iddings composted horse manure. Maple Valley, WA. Feedstock consists of manure from two local horse farms. The manure and associated bedding is mixed with sawdust and composted for at least 4 months.

7. Jerry Twidwell. Elma, WA. Feedstock is cow manure and sawdust bedding from Tom Smiley's dairy farm in Elma. Twidwell adds red worms to the piles and turns the piles about twice a week depending upon how hot the piles become. are composted for about one year.

approved under the Organic Food Program's material registration rules. The feedstocks for this compost are listed below.

Jerry

The piles

8 . Mighty Microbe. Mt. Vernon, WA. This compost has been

Percentaqe 25 20 30

25 . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Inqredient Cow manure (75% manure, 25% woodchips) Chicken manure Spinach seed screenings

Fish bone Fish meal Waste feed (hay silage) Corn silage Old grass

The feedstocks are placed in a building with aeration that allow for circulation of air without the need for turning. The buildings are approximately 21, by 30' and 12' high. By the third week, the temperature is up to 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is held for about five days, and subsequently placed in static piles.

Last year they produced about 1000 cubic yards.

9 . Zoo - Doo. Seattle, WA. The feedstock for this compost product comes primarily from the large ungulates, particularly the elephant, which contributes a great percentage of the manure. Straw and hay bedding comes in as a component of t..e manure. Wood chips and various landscaping refuse are also added to the compost piles but only amount to a small percentage of the final product. Piles are turned every two to three weeks. Final product is produced in 3 - 6 months The animals are given very little antibiotics in the zoo environment, therefore, no antibiotic residues are expected to show up in the finished compost. The manure is composted at a location on the grounds of the zoo.

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I . SAMPLE COLLECTION

Samples were collected in late June and early July, 1992. Subsamples were obtained from at least three areas of the compost pile at each compost site. stainless steel bowl from which a composite sample was placed into 250 ml opaque glass jars using sterile technique. Samples were shipped to Precision Analytics, Inc. in coolers with blue ice.

These subsamples were mixed in a

SAMPLE ANALYSIS

Sample analysis was conducted by Precision Analytics, Inc., Pullman, WA. All analyses were performed by approved methodologies whenever applicable, however, deviations/modifications and/or substitutions with more stringent EPA methodologies were sometimes used because of the variety of matrices. Metals were tested using EPA method 3050/7000. Chlorinated pesticides were tested using EPA method 1311/8080. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were tested using EPA method 8270. Samples were analyzed for sulfamethazine using a spectrophotometric method (AOAC 42.172).

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TABLE 1. Metals. Selected metals in manure compost and seafood processing waste and selected standards/tolerance levels for metals in solid waste compost.

Cow Manure 4.0 0.8 56 62 0.2 Ithaca, NYb

WSDOE~ Proposed 15 2 200 60 0.5

USEPA 39 25 - 840 1600 18

29 16.2

50 150

290 300

zn

2.5

proposed APL~

115

56.7

107.5

117

63.5

39

14.0

59.0

207.5

92.5

258

71

270

3200

rcury; Ni = Nickel; Pb = Lead; Zn = Zinc; ND = Not detected.

a. Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. 1991.; b. Furr, et al. 1976.; c. WSDOE External Advisory Committee preliminary recommendations for "special compost. Sept. 1992.; d. Proposed USEPA Alternative Pollutant Levels. John Walker, EPA. Personal Communication. Sept. 1992.

TABLE 2. Organochlorine pesticide residues.

ND ND

ND

ND

COMPOST/ MATERIAL

Minimum detection limit

ND ND

0.02 ND

ND ND

ND ND

Crab meal

DeJong Chicken

Iddings Horse

Mighty Microbe

Twidwell Dairy

200 - Do0

Chlordane

ND ND ND ND ND ND ND ND ND ND 0.01 ND

ND ND ND ND

ND ND ND ND

0.01 PPb

ND

Shrimp meal

Evergreen Feedlot

Lincoln Feedlot

Heptachlor Heptachlor

0.01 ppb 0.01 ppb 0.01 ppb

TABLE 2 continued. Organochlorine pesticide residues.

Note: ND = Not detected.

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TABLE 3. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's).

ND

. -.

ND

Minimum detection

ND

Crab meal

Shrimp meal

ND

Evergreen ND Feedlot

Lincoln Feedlot

DeJong chicken

Iddings Horse

Twidwell Dairy

Mighty Microbe

Acenaph- thylene

0.7 ppm

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND I ND ND I ND

ND ND I

ND I + ND

ND ND I

ND I ND 11

ND I ND II

ND ND

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TABLE 3 continued.

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TABLE 3 continued. plus Sulfamethazine

COMPOST/ Benzo (a) MATERIAL pyrene

Minimum 0.7 ppm detection limit

Crab meal ND

Shrimp meal ND

Evergreen ND Feedlot

Lincoln ND Feedlot

DeJong ND chicken

Iddings Horse

Twidwell Dairy

Mighty Microbe

2 0 0 - D o 0

ND ND I

Benzo

perylene

0.7 ppm

(g,h,i)

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

ND

Sulfa- methazine*

1 PPm

180

160

60

20

ND

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* The sulfamethazine results are unusual and should not be relied upon without further testing (see discussion).

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) . DISCUSSION

Metals Results of heavy metal analysis indicate that, in general, animal

manures from conventional farming systems in Washington State do not contain levels of heavy metals that are of a concern in regards to phytotoxicity, human or animal health, and environmental health. The only exception is Mighty Microbe compost which has elevated levels of copper which exceed the proposed WSDOE Itspecial compost1* standards.

Mighty Microbe compost uses a complex of feedstocks including seed screenings, fish processing waste, dairy and chicken manure. This complex of feedstocks makes it difficult to determine where the elevated copper levels are coming from. It is unlikely that the copper is coming from the manure sources since the other manure composts have much lower copper levels. Copper levels of between 4 and 46.6 ppm have been reported in a variety of fish processing waste (Wyatt and McGourty, 1990), so the fish meal is also an unlikely source of the copper. Further testing of Mighty Microbe feedstocks is needed in order to determine the source of the high copper levels.

and 1000 ppm (New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire). These levels have been adopted on the basis of phytotoxicity, so there is wide discrepancy over the appropriate tolerance level for copper. The elevated copper levels in Mighty Microbe should be investigated but it is unlikely that these levels would have any phytotoxic effects on food crops.

Organochlorines Organochlorine residues were undetected in all but two samples. Two

samples indicated low levels of heptachlor. Heptachlor is an insecticide that was widely used in termite control and is no longer registered for use. Heptachlor is converted to heptachlor epoxide under moist environmental conditions. Heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide are stable compounds and may persist for more than a dozen years. Trace amounts of heptachlor have been detected in animal fat and breast milk (Harte, 1991). Trace amounts of the material in composted dairy manure and shrimp meal point to the long term problems associated with organochlorine pesticides due to their environmental persistence. Heptachlor has FDA action levels of 10 ppb on vegetable crops and 2 0 0 ppb on meat products. The levels detected in composted dairy manure and shrimp meal are 1000 to 500 times lower than the tolerance level in food and as such are not present at levels to be of concern or that indicate the need of further monitoring.

Semi-volatile organics or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)

combustion of petroleum and as such are indicative of contamination with oil, diesel or other petroleum products.

Semi-volatile organics were undetected in all but one sample. Evergreen Products contained 1 ppm of 1,2-Benzoperylene, a six ring PAH. The relative absence of PAHIS indicates that these materials are not contaminated by petroleum products. Even though these samples did not indicate any concern over PAH contamination, compost operations should take

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Standards for copper levels in compost range between 60 ppm (Ontario)

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are formed from the incomplete

care to avoid contamination of their compost with diesel, gas, or oil from I '

their operating equipment.

Antibiotics

sulfamethazine was present in 6 out of 9 samples. The highest levels were found in shrimp and crab meal. using a spectrophotometric method (AOAC 42.172). The crab and shrimp were harvested from the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Washington and processed at the Westport facility. No additives are used by the facility in the production of the meal and antibiotics are not used in the open ocean. Without confirmation through further analytical methods the sulfamethazine results cannot be accepted. Further analysis of all samples for antibiotic residues is needed to determine if any antibiotic residues persist as a contaminant in composted animal manure.

Spectrophotometric analysis for sulfamethazine indicated that

Samples were analyzed for sulfamethazine

summary

manures and seafood processing wastes do not contain contaminants at levels that pose any threats to the long term productivity of the land or to human and animal health. It must be kept in mind, however, that only one or two sources of each type of feedstock were analyzed for these contaminants and that some further analysis of each type of feedstock should be conducted in the future. Questions regarding antibiotic residues in composted animal manure remain due to the inconclusive sulfamethazine results.

This study, though limited in scope, indicates that composted animal

The quantities of heavy metals present indicates that there would not be any detrimental effect through the long term use of these materials by farmers, gardeners, or landscapers. Composted animal manures and seafood processing wastes, consisting of similar feedstocks, should not be required to be tested for heavy metals, semi-volatile organics, or pesticide residues prior to their use as soil amendments or fertilizers. The use of manure composts and fish processing wastes should remain unrestricted as long as they are applied using good agronomic practices.

This study verifies that composts that come from clean feedstocks (eg. non-industrialized sources, natural sources) should be relatively devoid of harmful contaminants. If compost manufacturers use natural, non- industrialized feedstocks and if they maintain their equipment so that oil or diesel leakage does not occur then the final compost product should be free of harmful contaminants. If compost manufacturers use mixed source materials from urban environments the possibility of high lead levels, or other noxious contaminants is higher. Monitoring the source and the process of production is the most important aspect of producing clean products. used to compliment good quality control and site inspection.

Sampling and residue analysis has its place but should only be

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REFERENCES I .

Cal Recovery Systems, Inc. 1990. Compost Classification/Quality Standards for the State of Washington. Documents.

Furr, A.K., et al. 1976. Multielement and Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Analysis of Municipal Sewage Sludges of American Cities. Envir. Sci. and Tech. Vol. 10, No. 7, pp. 683-7.

Harte, J., et al. 1991. Toxics A to 2. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. 1991. Compost Testing and Analysis: Final Report. Prepared for Seattle Solid Waste Utility.

Wyatt, B. and G. McGourty. 1990. Use of Marine By-products on Agricultural Crops. In the Proceedings of the International Conference on Fish By-products. Anchorage, Alaska. Edited by Sue Keller. pp. 187-195.

Washington State Department of Ecology

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