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Did you know? ... Death by compost
“In May, 2007, a 47-year-old man was admitted with a 1-week history of productive cough, pleuritic chest pain, increasing shortness of breath, fever, and myalgia. He smoked ten cigarettes per day, and worked as a welder; he had no other medical history of note, and had previously been in good health. ...”
—Russell K, Broadbridge C, Murray S, Waghorn D, Mahoney A. 2008. Gardening can seriously damage your health. The Lancet 371(9629): 2056.
“Garden Bio-hazard: Man Killed By Compost” by Sanjay Jha 13 June 2008:
“The 47-year-old Briton fell ill less than 24 hours after being engulfed by ‘clouds of dust’ while working with rotting tree and plant mulch.
“At first medics thought the previously healthy welder had pneumonia when he was admitted with severe breathing problems.
“But when antibiotics failed to help, tests showed evidence of Aspergillosis, a reaction to Aspergillus spores.
“The fungus is commonly found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles or decaying vegetation.
“Its spores may trigger a relatively harmless allergic reaction or a much more serious destructive infection that begins in the lungs and spreads to other parts of the body. ...
“Doctors wrote: ‘However, smoking and welding could have damaged his lungs, increasing his vulnerability. Since he died so quickly, we cannot exclude the possibility that he had an undetected immunodeficiency. Acute aspergillosis after contact with decayed plant matter is rare, but may be considered an occupational hazard for gardeners’.”
The need for safety
This alarming but fortunately rare event underlines the need for anyone working with compost to take precautions.
Also called farmer’s lung, aspergillosis is common among people who handle hay and compost. Spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus can lodge and grow in the lungs. With a worldwide distribution, the fungus is commonly found in compost, especially during the high-temperature stage of composting. It is also found in potting mixtures and mulches. Aspergillosis is more likely to affect people with a reduced immune system, such as the young and the very old, and people taking immunosuppressant drugs.
Personal protective equipment
If you work with compost, then for your safety it is important to wear a respirator with a filter cartridge appropriate to fine dust and close-fitting safety glasses. If you work indoors, then ventilation and wet dust suppression are critical. Finally, make sure you wash your work clothes regularly.
Further reading
Fungi: http://www.workershealth.com.au/facts028.html
Aspergillus: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Aspergillus?OpenDocument
Recycled Organics Unit. 2004. Occupational Health and Safety and Commercial Composting Volume 1: Implementation Workbook. University of New South Wales: http://www.recycledorganics.com/infosheets/8ohs/OHSvol1.pdf
Recycled Organics Unit. 2004. Occupational Health and Safety and Commercial Composting Volume 2: A Review of Potential Risks of Infection and Risk Management Strategies. University of New South Wales: http://www.recycledorganics.com/infosheets/8ohs/OHSvol2.pdf
Recycled Organics Unit. 2004. Occupational Health and Safety and Commercial Composting Volume 3: Induction Manual for Compost Facility Staff. University of New South Wales: http://www.recycledorganics.com/infosheets/8ohs/OHSvol3.pdf