title: Ecotoxicity tests for compost applications.
abstract: Interest in the ecological effects of composting has been growing recently. However, no established methods are available for testing the toxicity of composted materials. Despite this, international and national quality requirements define that compost shall not contain any environmentally harmful substances. Safety requirements have to be fulfilled if the produced compost is intended for agricultural use. This literature review focuses on methods that could potentially be used to evaluate the ecotoxicity of compost. The toxicity test methods discussed are those employing microbes, enzymes, soil fauna, and plants.
authors.affiliation: VTT Biotechnology, Tietotie 2, 02044 VTT, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapanen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itävaara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D010944:Plants; D011050:Policy Making; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants