Call to Action: Compost and Recycled Organic Products and Phosphorous
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The USCC needs your help!
Many composters and individuals involved in manure or biosolids management and anaerobic digestion, as well as farmers and turf managers, are familiar with the concern regarding the overapplication of phosphorus and/or the migration of phosphorus into our water resources. Obviously, this issue should be taken seriously so that we can protect drinking water, reduce surface water contamination (eutrification) and conserve an important nutrient required for plant growth (and food production). That stated, organic forms of phosphorus, such as compost and biosolids (and certain manures), contain low levels of water extractable phosphate (WEP), but increasingly are regulated like inorganic P sources.
This technical information, a WEP test method and viable labeling changes have been suggested to AAPFCO over the past two years. If you would like to support these efforts, please click onto the BioCycle links to review more detailed information, and then contact Ron Alexander (at the contacts below) before June 15, 2021. We need letters of support from the industry to illustrate to AAPFCO that there is support for our initiative.
May 2011 Biocycle Connect Article: Recycled Organic Products and Phosphorus
November 2016 Biocycle Article: Phosphorus And Compost Use Dynamics
