Premium
Salmonella in animal slurry can be destroyed by aeration at low temperatures
Author(s) -
Helvi HeinTanski,
Niskanen Em,
Pekka Salmela,
Eija Lanki
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1998.00487.x
Subject(s) - slurry , aeration , salmonella , contamination , bacteria , environmental science , zoology , biology , pulp and paper industry , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental engineering , ecology , genetics , engineering
Cattle and other animals infected by Salmonella can emit high numbers of these bacteria. To determine an effective means for reducing this bacterial group in animal slurry, samples were subjected to aeration in laboratory experiments and in farm‐scale slurry tanks. A clear reduction in Salmonella levels was found in laboratory experiments at temperatures from 4 to 40 °C. Aeration in farm‐scale slurry tanks increased the temperature above the ambient temperatures (often less than 0 °C) to maxima ranging between 19 and 40 °C. Farm‐scale aeration resulted in similar reductions in Salmonella as those achieved in laboratory experiments. Thus, reductions, ranging from greater than 99% of the initial number to no detectable Salmonella , could be reached after 2–5 weeks using aeration processes with cattle slurries contaminated by Salm. infantis or pig slurry contaminated by Salm. typhimurium . These results suggest that farmers can control the spread of Salmonella from slurry to agricultural fields. The reduction mechanisms remain unknown, though the increase in pH (to 7·6–9·0) found in slurries after aeration might exert a decreasing effect on these bacteria.