Is chew bad for septic tanks?

I was asked if chew "tabaco" is bad for septic tanks.
I don't use the stuff, but people want to know.
So think about about, chew on it a bit and let us know.

Terry said:

I was asked if chew "tabaco" is bad for septic tanks.
I don't use the stuff, but people want to know.
So think about about, chew on it a bit and let us know.

Click to expand...

I suspect it is. The reason why I say this is because a septic guy told me years ago that extinguishing a cigarette in the toilet and flushing it was very bad because this was toxic to the bacteria in the tank. Bacteria is critical for a properly functioning septic system. I never researched it though.

Well I never.

Nicotine is a potent killer of bacteria. In test-tube studies, it can destroy more than a dozen types of bacteria, including ones that cause diseases.

Nicotine readily destroys a wide range of bacteria. Germs that cause tuberculosis, as well as gum and skin diseases, are all susceptible. So are bacteria that naturally reside on human skin and in people's mouths and gastrointestinal tracts.

One reason smokers are prone to gum disease is that the nicotine from their cigarettes eliminates protective microbes that normally ward off disease-causing bacteria that even the nicotine can't check.

It isn't clear how nicotine kills bacteria, but it has the potential to be used as a disinfectant.

Chewing tobacco is much more biodegradable than cigarette butts though. Butts really would be a no-no in a septic tank.

I never dipped but knew kids back in high school who did and thought it was a pretty nasty habit, some would get this bad build up in their bottom lip from the tobacco, i smoked a cigar occasionally and cigarettes but quit cold turkey and never went back

Seems to me it's a question of quantity. It's hard to imagine that the typical amount of "chew" a person would flush into a septic tank would in any way overwhelm the trillions of bacteria already there.

By the same token, what happens if someone swishes a germ-killing mouthwash like Listerine and spits it into the sink? Do we worry that it will change the bacterial culture of a septic tank?