Researching how to reduce odours from hog operations
is important in building good community relationships
between producers and their neighbours. Nigel J. Bunce, Professor of Chemistry, Research Associate
Dorin Bejan and Lisa Rabson, who will shortly start her M. Sc.
in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Guelph,
have previously shown that flowing an electric current
through liquid hog manure, using a process known as electrolysis,
can kill bacteria effectively on a small scale.
Even though there are challenges, using electrolysis is
advantageous to chemical treatment of manure because
it requires less complicated equipment and can be accomplished
at ordinary temperature and pressure. Additionally,
Bunce says, “reducing odour with electricity costs less than
using chemicals.” The team is planning further studies involving more
field treatments at a scale of 1,500 litres, which will
identify the lower limit of applied current needed and
the optimum treatment period
required to reduce bacterial populations
and odour in manure on
a large scale.