Anne Miller wrote:My take on this is if the compost pile gets hot enough the toxins are killed off so there is no need to worry...
But if what makes something toxic is a chemical poison (as with the yews), and not a living organism, it cannot be “killed.”
It may possibly be rendered less toxic through some chemical processes such as chemical reactions that change it at a molecular level or cause it to become bound up with other substances and therefore less available. But the required reagents and conditions would be different for each substance. Some toxins, like botulism toxin, are neutralized by heat. But others, like the heavy metals lead and arsenic, are unaffected by heat levels you could reach at home.
