what about human waste is so dangerous that farmers can't use it as fertilizer for food crops?

Question

just wondering

Answer 1

Escherichia Coli is a benevolent bacteria in the lower intestine that is excreted along with feces. If E. coli escapes the lower intestine into other parts of the body, whether through a perforation in the intestine or through ingestion, it can cause peritonitis. Certain strains are also very toxigenic and can cause extremely severe cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Any feces used as a fertilized has to be treated properly to avoid the threat of food-borne illness.

Answer 2

Waste water treatment plants treat solid waste materials to break them down and then the treated material is sold to farmers as fertilizers or soil supplements. The raw waste is dangerous because it can contain disease. That is why raw sewage cannot be used directly on food crops.

Answer 3

It is not just human waste, but the waste from any carnivore. The micro organisms necessary to break down meat in a digestive system, and the digestive system itself is entirely different in meat eaters. The waste harbors organisms and toxins that humans can not tolerate, and even the smallest bit left on the plant can make a person sick.

That is why they always tell you not to put the waste from your dog or cat on your compost pile.

Answer 4

Several forms of E. Coli and other intestinal bacteria thrive beyond expulsion from the body and even continue to grow in the soil. These bacteria can also survive the process used to make fertilizer. Those bacteria will then transfer to the foods and to your dinner plate. From there it's a short trip to food poisoning.

Answer 5

It addition to what everyone else said, sewage from the sewers has more in it than just human waste.

Drain cleaners (Drano), bleach, soap, laundry detergent, house hold chemicals, motor oil, used paint, and who knows what else is flushed, washed, or poured down the drains into the sewers. So the sludge from the sewers will also have random chemicals -- some of them highly toxic, since we really cannot predict what people do in their own homes.

Answer 6

We as humans in general eat foods that other species, sometimes even cockroaches would never touch. Also, a lot of people eat foods which aren't totally digested, and which would cause certain toxins to be released when mixed with our body's digestive acids.. Our digestive acids alone, or mixed with toxic substances found in many foods we eat, contain several strains of bacteria that would potentially contaminate commodity crops./

Answer 7

I went on a guided visit of a UK sewage farm as part of my Degree in Environmental science and in England they DO use Human waste on crops.

They dry what is left after all processing and the water is put straight into a river. The guy there told us you could drink the water, but I have to say, he didn't volunteer.

Answer 8

Nothing I guess. Its about the same as other animal waste as far as bacteria is concerned. I just don't think we as a society are set up for collecting human waste as fertilizer. All our stuff goes to the sewers where it mixes with God knows what. Cows poop in a field and its easy to scoop up.

Answer 9

If the fertilizer were pasturized I don't see the problem of using it for food production.

Answer 10

They can contain disease producing bacterias and viruses.
They sometimes use treated human sewage for golf courses but not for food.