Diseases may concentrate in White House organic garden, Seattle-area gardens through sludge

Can of organic gardening worms opened up: Obama's organic garden a lab for Disease-laden problems thanks to urban composted sludge?

Lead poisoning of dignitaries and school children in Michelle Obama's White House organic garden? Who cares?

This writer took a lot of flack for wondering if food from the White House garden and other similar urban/suburban gardens -- especially those in Seattle -- is safe to eat because of lead poisoning. Turns out there's potentially a much bigger problem.

Swine flu or Alzheimers versus lead poisoning?



Wastewater treatment plants such as King County's sewer plants produce biosolids -- or sludge -- that the EPA and the county claim is safe to put on lawns, flower gardens, and even vegetable gardens. King County markets their product as "GroCo", and says it is safe to use in food gardens. But is it really?

Think about it: If you're sick, you might pass that disease through your waste. It goes into the treatment plant ... and becomes sludge. According to some scientists, those biosolids are never heated enough to kill the diseases.

Wastewater treatment sludge / biosolids may contain super-pathogens with antibiotic resistance

The Obama's new organic garden -- which was dug out of White House lawn previously treated with sewer sludge -- brings into focus frightening issues green gardeners need to think about. Some scientists claim that current wastewater treatment plant practices do not remove pathogens immune to various anti-biotics and chlorine. In fact, some say that the wastewater treatment facilities combination of contaminated fecal matter may be allowing the spread of so-called "super-pathogens". Using sewer sludge to treat gardens could encourage the spread of these super-pathogens.