"Stephen M. Henning" wrote:

Be careful about what you read. Composting will never remove heavy
metals which are present in the color sections of newspapers and most

--SNIP--


While back, there was a gent who posted calling himself "Jim the
Compost Man." Really knew his stuff, I learned a lot from him.
Wish he was still around! Anyway, he addressed this issue. I
have it saved off and thought I'd re-post it. He addressed
colored paper and soy inks as well.

Below, he says there have -not- been heavy metals in the colored
sections of newspapers (or North American paper in general) for
many years, contradicting what you wrote above. He's not around
to ask for a citation, but you are. ;-)

Could you tell me how you know there are currently heavy metals in
colored sections of newspapers?


Regards,

Max



Subject: Composting with Newsprint?
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 23:25:47 -0500

Natalie(and others)wrote:
Don't use pages that have colored pictures or spot color on them
however, since the inks used in some 4-color processes contain
heavy metals.

Hi Natalie and Jason,

Ever since lead printing plates were banned in north Americal over
twenty years ago, the amount of heavy metals in newsprint, magazines,
and colored inserts are at background levels and are not a concern in
compost or the garden based on EPA regulations. No organic gardening or
farming association anywhere prohibits the use of colored paper in
compost.

Years ago, and in other parts of the world where lead printing plates
are still used, the lead levels are high and a serious problem, but not
in north America. Cadmium is used in yellow inks in concentrations of
concern in dyes used for plastics, but not in printing on paper.

Please do not pass on this myth since there is no evidence to back up
this assertion that colored paper contains heavy metals at levels to be
a problem in the garden. I have seen dozens of heavy metal tests on
paper products, including magazines and colored inserts and all of the
tests are the same as ordinary compost.

Regarding using soy based inks rather than oil based inks is another
common bit of folklore. First, the concentration of hydrocarbons is
nearly undetectable in oil based inks and composting is the recommended
TREATMENT for many hydrocarbons including oil, gasoline, hydralulic
fluid, and diesel in concentrations thousands of times higher than found
in paper.

The move toward soy inks is to reduce the use of fossil fuel based ink
with a renewable ink, and is a good environmental step. But it has
nothing to do with any real biohazard in the paper from the
hydrocarbons.

The bottom line is that all north american paper products are safe to
use in composting, as a mulch and in the garden and there is absolutely
no evidence I am aware of to the contrary.

Jim the Compost Man