Re-engineering Municipal Compost: Integrating Geochemistry, Public Health, and Community Stakeholders to Improve Food Sovereignty and Sustainability while Reducing Lead Exposure
Abstract
The City of Boston is one of several municipalities in North America which has adopted municipal composting as a sustainable organic waste management strategy. The municipal compost produced often supports local farms and community gardens, raising concerns about feedstock regulation and standards to ensure that the compost is sufficiently nutrient-rich and free of heavy metal contamination. Our lab employs a participatory action research (PAR) approach by working directly with community members to understand composting concerns and benefits from a systems perspective. We partner with The Food Project, a non-profit organization engaged in sustainable agriculture in Boston, to understand local resources, challenges, and community needs. As lead (Pb) contamination and strategies to minimize Pb exposure remain key concerns for communities engaging in sustainable local agriculture, we have tracked bulk Pb concentrations in City of Boston municipal compost since 2006. Notably, between 2006 and 2012 we observed a factor of two changes in bulk Pb concentration. New management practices beginning in 2012 have resulted in up to 40% lower Pb concentration. We have developed geochemical signatures of trace/major elements ratios for different feedstocks which comprise the final compost product. Our most recent work studies the relationships between grain size ratios and pH of the compost matrix to understand and eventually quantify the bioavailability of trace Pb. This allows us to better identify sources of contamination in compost feedstock and also propose solutions to mitigate Pb contamination. Future work on the effects of various organic feedstocks (food waste, yard clippings, curbside pickup, etc.) on C/N ratios of the compost matrix will better inform local policy and management of municipal composting. Bringing together applied geochemistry and community participation in this manner can help reshape municipal composting strategies and maximize the benefits that composting can provide.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMGH33C1254J
- Keywords:
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- 0478 Pollution: urban;
- regional and global;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0815 Informal education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 1094 Instruments and techniques;
- GEOCHEMISTRYDE: 0240 Public health;
- GEOHEALTH