Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Abstract Compostable materials constitute roughly half of waste generated globally, but only 5% of waste is actually processed through composting, suggesting that expanding compost programs may be an effective way to process waste. Compostable waste, if properly collected and processed, has value‐ad...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2024-03-01
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| Series: | GeoHealth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GH000810 |
| _version_ | 1797242839808081920 |
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| author | Chansie Yang Claire Hayhow Emma Jackman Danielle Andrews Daniel Brabander |
| author_facet | Chansie Yang Claire Hayhow Emma Jackman Danielle Andrews Daniel Brabander |
| author_sort | Chansie Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Compostable materials constitute roughly half of waste generated globally, but only 5% of waste is actually processed through composting, suggesting that expanding compost programs may be an effective way to process waste. Compostable waste, if properly collected and processed, has value‐added end use options including: residential and park landscaping, remediation of brownfield sites, and as growing media in urban agriculture (UA). Since 2001, our lab has partnered with The Food Project, a non‐profit focused on youth leadership development through urban farming. From 2006 to 2022 we collected compost materials that were delivered to the farm from a variety of local sources and analyzed a suite of biogeochemical properties including lead (Pb) concentrations, organic carbon, and grain size distribution. Pb concentrations of Boston's municipal compost always exceeded the current City of San Francisco soil and compost purchase standard (80 μg/g). In 2012 Boston's composting program was halted when it exceeded the 400 μg/g Environmental Protection Agency's Pb in soil benchmark. Urban Pb is geomobile and must be managed to minimize resuspension and transport of fines whose Pb concentration is often elevated compared to bulk compost. Consequently, urban farmers have to source lower Pb compost from suburban suppliers at significantly greater cost. Over a 15 year period and through several city vendor contracts, Pb concentrations in municipal compost remain at levels that warrant continued surveillance and risk assessment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:45:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b253d17ed5b848a7919b059479a37a82 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2471-1403 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:45:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | GeoHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-b253d17ed5b848a7919b059479a37a822024-03-27T05:36:28ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)GeoHealth2471-14032024-03-0183n/an/a10.1029/2023GH000810Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USAChansie Yang0Claire Hayhow1Emma Jackman2Danielle Andrews3Daniel Brabander4Department of Environmental Studies Wellesley College Wellesley MA USADepartment of Geosciences Wellesley College Wellesley MA USADepartment of Geosciences Wellesley College Wellesley MA USAThe Food Project Boston MA USADepartment of Environmental Studies Wellesley College Wellesley MA USAAbstract Compostable materials constitute roughly half of waste generated globally, but only 5% of waste is actually processed through composting, suggesting that expanding compost programs may be an effective way to process waste. Compostable waste, if properly collected and processed, has value‐added end use options including: residential and park landscaping, remediation of brownfield sites, and as growing media in urban agriculture (UA). Since 2001, our lab has partnered with The Food Project, a non‐profit focused on youth leadership development through urban farming. From 2006 to 2022 we collected compost materials that were delivered to the farm from a variety of local sources and analyzed a suite of biogeochemical properties including lead (Pb) concentrations, organic carbon, and grain size distribution. Pb concentrations of Boston's municipal compost always exceeded the current City of San Francisco soil and compost purchase standard (80 μg/g). In 2012 Boston's composting program was halted when it exceeded the 400 μg/g Environmental Protection Agency's Pb in soil benchmark. Urban Pb is geomobile and must be managed to minimize resuspension and transport of fines whose Pb concentration is often elevated compared to bulk compost. Consequently, urban farmers have to source lower Pb compost from suburban suppliers at significantly greater cost. Over a 15 year period and through several city vendor contracts, Pb concentrations in municipal compost remain at levels that warrant continued surveillance and risk assessment.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GH000810composturban agriculturetrace metalsleadparticipatory action research |
| spellingShingle | Chansie Yang Claire Hayhow Emma Jackman Danielle Andrews Daniel Brabander Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA GeoHealth compost urban agriculture trace metals lead participatory action research |
| title | Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_full | Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_fullStr | Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_short | Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_sort | municipal compost public health waste management and urban agriculture a decadal study of fugitive pb in city of boston massachusetts usa |
| topic | compost urban agriculture trace metals lead participatory action research |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GH000810 |
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