|
|
Article: Overpowering manure. (Livestock Issues).
- Article from:
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Article date:
- April 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have lab-tested a cheap method for killing pathogenic bacteria in dairy cattle manure. If the technique passes upcoming field tests, it could help address growing concerns about the spread of disease by animal manure, and could possibly someday be used with other nondairy manures as well.
High concentrations of cattle urine can kill many bacteria in manure. Ammonia once got credit for the bactericidal effect, but research published in the 1 April 2000 issue of Environmental Science & Technology by a team under USDA research microbiologist James Russell indicates that carbonate ions released during enzymatic ...