Many people have compost piles to dispose of things naturally, food, waste, etc. However, these piles could be more harmful then they could help you, and not many people realize it. Here are just a few things supporting that compost piles can be very harmful.

For starters, gardeners who are unaware of the dangers from compost piles have either been seriously injured or even killed. Take for instance a 47-year-old man from Britain, who was engulfed by a cloud of dust particles coming from his compost pile, who was sadly killed. This is just one of many cases where someone has caught a disease or been killed from the dust from a compost pile. Diseases such as Farmers’ lung, aspergillosis, histoplasmosis, legionnaires disease, tetanus, and paronychia. While these diseases are not directly life-threatening, prolonged exposure, and without knowing that you’ve been infected, not receiving antibiotics asap.

So how can you protect yourself from compost diseases? Well, you can start by wearing protective footwear that will keep your feet out of direct contact with the soil, and only where the footwear outdoors to prevent a possible spread into your home. Wear dry, breathable gloves so that your hands also don’t come into contact with the soil which could possibly be hosting a disease. Never till the compost on a windy day, and when you do till the compost pile, which you need to do in order for the waste to decompose, always wear a face or dust mask, to keep all the harmful spores out of your respiratory system.

With this in mind, keep on the watch for harmful activity to you and your family from your very own compost pile.