You Should Be Composting in Your Apartment. Here's How. - Mother Jones
You Should Be Composting in Your Apartment. Here's How. - Mother Jones |
| You Should Be Composting in Your Apartment. Here's How. - Mother Jones Posted: 31 Dec 2019 03:00 AM PST  Tessa Lighty/The Journal-Star/AP Everyone will think your worms are gross until they need some soil for their plants. That's what I discovered when I told my coworkers that I keep a plastic bin full of squirming invertebrates in my apartment to decompose food scraps and generate compost. In the summer of 2018, while reporting for a local newspaper on organics collection in New York, I became fascinated with the process by which food waste biodegrades and how waste disposal impacts the environment. So I went online and ordered 500 red wigglers whose descendants are still thriving in a decaying pile of my discarded food. Sound gross? That's what my colleagues said. But as winter set in and everyone's house plants began to wilt, my coworkers started asking me to bring them bags of the nutrient-rich soil my worms produce. I had more than enough dirt to go around. After all, you reap what you compost. Instead of letting your holiday leftovers fester in your refrigerator, consider giving them a second life with an indoor compost bin. Here's how to get started. Wait, won't it smell bad? No. A healthy compost pile will have an earthy, even pleasant, smell. What will prevent the worms from escaping? Worms thrive in dirt and will dry out if they leave the bin, so there's very little risk of them escaping. I did have one minor worm exodus early in my composting career when my bin's carbon-nitrogen balance was off. Still, worms move slowly and can't get very far. The odds of one popping up beside your pillow while you sleep are next to zero. OK, but why should I bother? One worm bin in a closet isn't going to stop climate change when fossil fuel companies are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. But it can't hurt. Composting keeps food out of landfills, where anaerobic bacteria decompose the waste and produce methane, a greenhouse gas more potent over the short term than carbon dioxide. Composting is also a fun science experiment involving hundreds of the lowest-maintenance pets you could have. It will let you feel like you're nurturing something without the effort of, say, scooping dog poop up off the sidewalk. Plus, when the global economy collapses and we're forced to live off the fat of the eroded topsoil, you'll know how to create arable dirt. You've convinced me. How do I get started? First, you'll need someplace to put your worms. You could buy a compost bin, or you could use your own container. I opted for a $6 Sterilite storage bin from the dollar store. I drilled a constellation of tiny holes in the top for air and in the bottom for drainage. The EPA recommends drilling a larger, one-inch hole into the container and covering it up with a screen. Then, I set the bin on a bed of newspaper to sop up any water that might seep out the bottom. I keep my bin in a closet beneath the ladder that leads to my roof, but it's also common to keep a compost bin beneath a kitchen sink or next to the household trash and recycling bins.
My pride and joy Next, you'll need to get your hands on some worms. I ordered 500 red composting worms from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm, whose website is also full of helpful information for getting started composting. European night-crawlers are another option. Just make sure that your worms are safe for composting and not an invasive species. Once you have your worms and your bin, line the bottom of the bin with shredded paper or ripped-up newspaper. Place the worms in the bin, along with a decent amount of potting soil. Discarded soil from a dead houseplant will do the trick. Add enough water to dampen the soil; it should be about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. I'm ready to start feeding my worms. What's this carbon-nitrogen balance you mentioned? A healthy bin will have a mixture of nitrogen-rich "green" waste and carbon-rich "brown" waste. Nitrogen-rich materials include vegetable scraps and grass cuttings, while carbon-rich materials include newspaper and leaves. If there's too much carbon in the bin, decomposition will slow down; if there's too much nitrogen, the bin will emit smelly ammonia. An ideal carbon:nitrogen ratio is about 25-30:1. It doesn't have to be as complicated as it sounds. I maintain a healthy C:N ratio in my bin by limiting the amount of food scraps I deposit—worms don't consume as fast as you'd think!—and adding strips of wet, carbon-rich newspaper each time I add other materials. This is a helpful chart for deciding what to compost and how it contributes to your bin's C:N ratio. What can I compost? Almost any organic matter. Cut food scraps into little pieces, the smaller the better. Avoid meat and dairy, which are harder to decompose and could stink up the bin. Here are some ideas. Nitrogen-rich materials:
Carbon-rich materials:
When you add materials to your bin, use a trowel to bury them about an inch under the soil so they don't begin to grow mold and fungi. How often should I add to the bin? Not often. I add food scraps to my bin every two or three weeks, but I sometimes abandon it for even longer. Use a trowel to take a peek at how things are decomposing. When your food waste looks sufficiently digested, go ahead and add some more. It's a good idea to keep food scraps in your freezer so they don't start to rot before it's their turn to be composted. I keep mine in old yogurt containers.
My freezer Every once in a while, use a trowel or a shovel to turn the compost and aerate the bin. This will keep your worms happy and the aerobic decomposition churning. How do I harvest the compost? The least labor-intensive method is to add new materials to one side of the bin, wait a few days for the worms to migrate to the new food, and then scoop the worm-free compost from the other side of the bin. Check out some other methods here.
Some newspaper scraps atop healthy worm castings That's it! You're ready to start turning your food waste into soil. Happy composting!  |
| Intestinal worms: Pictures, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News Today Posted: 19 Dec 2018 12:00 AM PST  Intestinal worms, or parasitic worms, are simple organisms that feed off the human body. Many people recognize the more common varieties, such as tapeworms and hookworms, but may be less aware of the others. Intestinal worms can cause many symptoms in the body, some of which are similar to the symptoms of other gut disorders. A quick and thorough diagnosis is crucial in each case to avoid complications. Doctors may use antiparasitic medications or other treatments to help get rid of the worms. Although intestinal worms may seem scary, most people respond well to treatment. In this article, we take a look at the different types of intestinal worm and the symptoms that they can cause. We also examine how people can get intestinal worms and what the treatment involves. Each species of intestinal worm may cause different symptoms, and the symptoms may also vary from person to person. However, some common signs and symptoms of intestinal worms include: In some cases, the person may start passing segments of the intestinal worm in their stool. In rarer cases, the intestinal worm may lead to severe blockages in the intestine, making it difficult for the person to have a bowel movement. There are many different types of intestinal worm that can affect people. Below, we look at some of them in more detail. TapewormA tapeworm is a type of flatworm that lives in the intestine, where it attaches itself to the intestinal wall. Most people with tapeworms experience either no symptoms or very mild symptoms. There are a few different types of tapeworm. Some tapeworms live in water, and drinking unclean water may allow them into the body. Other tapeworms live in meats, such as beef or pork, and ingesting unclean or raw meats may expose the person to them. Tapeworms are flat and tend to be long, usually between 3 and 10 meters depending on the type of worm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that there are fewer than 1,000 new cases of tapeworms each year in the United States. HookwormA hookworm is a worm that usually enters a person's body through unsanitary soil. The name of the worm describes the way that one end of its body tapers off into a needle or hook shape. The CDC state that, according to estimates, 576 to 740 million people in the world have a hookworm infection. Hookworms take up space in the small intestine, where they lay eggs, which pass out of the body through the feces. When the eggs hatch, the larvae can potentially enter through the skin of another person. People are at risk if they come into contact with the fecal matter or with soil containing contaminated feces as fertilizer. Most people with a hookworm have no symptoms. Some people may show typical gastrointestinal symptoms, and this may be more common with first-time infections. FlukeFlukes are another type of flatworm. Flukes may be more common in animals, although it is possible for humans to contract these parasitic worms as well. Flukes are small and have a rounded leaf shape. Humans get them by accidentally eating or ingesting them, either in drinking water or freshwater plants, such as watercress. Once inside the body, adult flukes occupy the bile ducts and liver. Some people do not have any symptoms, but others may experience symptoms months or even years after first ingesting the parasite. These people may experience inflammation of the bile ducts or complete blockages. They may have an abnormally large liver or unusual readings on a liver test. PinwormA pinworm is a small, thin roundworm that is about the size of a staple. Pinworms are relatively harmless and sometimes live in the colon and rectum of humans. Someone who has the worms can pass them onto someone else through direct contact or by sharing a contaminated object with them. Pinworms commonly cause itching around the anus, which can be severe enough to make sleeping difficult. Symptoms appear during the night as this is when the female pinworms crawl out of the anus to lay their eggs on the surrounding skin. Other symptoms are usually mild, and many people do not experience any. AscariasisAscariasis is similar to a hookworm, although it is only a few inches long. It lives in contaminated soil, so it only enters the body when people ingest the eggs. Inside the body, this worm lives in the intestines. People with an ascariasis infection often show few to no symptoms. However, severe infections may cause intestinal blockages or impair growth in children. TrichinellaTrichinella worms are another type of roundworm that may pass to humans who eat undercooked or raw meats that contain the live larvae. The larvae then grow in the intestines. On reaching their full size, the Trichinella worms may leave the intestines and live in other tissues, such as the muscles. Symptoms vary with a trichinosis infection. In addition to common gastrointestinal symptoms, some people may experience:
Heavy infections may cause breathing or heart problems or make it difficult for the person to move. Very severe cases may lead to death. Trichinella infection is rare in the U.S., but it is more likely to affect people who eat wild meats, such as bear, pork, or seal. As a 2016 study notes, over 3.5 billion people around the world have an intestinal parasite infection. The vast majority of these infections occur in developing countries where sanitation is poor. However, intestinal worms are still possible in developed areas. Some people may be more at risk of contracting an intestinal worm. These people include those with a weakened immune system, such as older people and people living with HIV. Pregnancy does not increase the risk of getting intestinal worms, but intestinal worms may pose a more significant health risk for people who are pregnant. Some antiparasitic medications may not be safe during pregnancy. Anyone who is pregnant and has an intestinal worm should work closely with their doctor throughout their treatment. Doctors may order several different tests to help them diagnose intestinal worms. These tests may include:
A tape test involves placing a piece of tape over the anus as the person sleeps to check for signs of eggs. Anyone who suspects that they have an intestinal worm should see a doctor. Although intestinal worms sound a bit frightening, treatment is often straightforward. In some cases, the person may not need any treatment at all. A healthy immune system may be sufficient to manage some types of tapeworm without the need for medication. In other cases, doctors will use one or more antiparasitic medications to get rid of the intestinal worm. Doctors will sometimes choose to monitor the person first to see if their body can take care of the worm before moving on to medication. During this period, the individual should report any symptoms to the doctor. Some signs and symptoms may indicate that further treatment is necessary. These may include:
Before commencing a person's medical treatment, the doctor has to identify the specific type of intestinal worm. The type of worm will determine the best treatment option. Doctors often prescribe praziquantel (Biltricide) to clear out a tapeworm. This drug paralyzes the worm, forcing it to detach from the intestinal wall. It then helps dissolve the worm so it can pass through the digestive system and leave the body during a bowel movement. In the case of hookworms, doctors prescribe anthelmintic drugs, such as mebendazole or albendazole. Triclabendazole may help treat flukes, while pinworm infections often respond well to both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Intestinal worms may increase the risk of certain health issues in the body. Some intestinal worms may make it difficult for the body to absorb protein or cause a loss of blood and iron, which could lead to anemia. Intestinal worms may also affect a person's ability to pass food through the intestines. This issue could ultimately lead to an intestinal blockage, which requires immediate treatment. Some types of intestinal worm may also lead to human cysticercosis, which is a potentially serious disease that can damage the eyes and cause seizures. While it may not be possible to get rid of all possible sources of intestinal worms, it is still essential to take certain steps to avoid them where possible. One of the more important aspects of prevention is basic sanitation. For instance, people should always wash their hands both before and after using the toilet to avoid possible exposure. Washing the hands before cooking or handling food is also crucial. Many intestinal worms enter the body through the food that a person eats. As a result, it is essential to follow some safe food practices:
When visiting a developing country or a place where sanitation is lacking, avoid swimming in sources of unclean water or walking barefoot in areas where contamination with fecal matter is possible. Many intestinal worms are uncommon in the U.S., largely due to proper hygiene and cooking practices. Some common worms, such as pinworms, do not pose much harm. In most cases, a thorough course of treatment can help clear up the issue. However, anyone who suspects that their symptoms come from an intestinal worm should see a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis and treatment. Most people respond well to treatment.  |
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