http://hdl.handle.net/1813/2146 2013-06-20T02:59:08Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/33153 Title: Is This Your Idea of Taking Out the Trash? Authors: Bonhotal, Jean 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/33145 Title: Fate of Barbiturates and Non-steriodal Anti-inflammatory Drugs During Carcass Composting Authors: Schwarz, Mary; Bonhotal, Jean; Bischoff, Karyn; Ebel, Joseph Abstract: With disease issues, the decline of the rendering industry, a ban on use of downer cows for food, and rules to halt horse slaughter, environmentally safe and sound practices for disposal of horses and other livestock mortalities are limited. Improper disposal of carcasses containing veterinary drugs has resulted in the death of domestic animals and wildlife. Composting of carcasses has been performed successfully to reduce pathogens, nutrient release, and biosecurity risks. However, there is concern that drugs used in the livestock industry, as feed additives and veterinary therapies do not degrade readily and will persist in compost or leachate, threatening environmental exposure to wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Two classes of drugs commonly used in the livestock and horse industries include barbiturates for euthanasia and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for relief of pain and inflammation. Sodium pentobarbital (a barbiturate) and phenylbutazone (an NSAID) concentrations in liver, compost, effluent and leachate were analyzed in two separate horse carcass compost piles in two separate years. Horse liver samples were also buried in 3 feet of loose soil in the first year and drug concentrations were assessed over time. In year one, phenylbutazone concentrations in the liver of the horse were undetectable (< 10 ppb) by 20 days of composting or burial in loose soil and were undetectable in effluent from the pile at the time of first sampling on day 6. Pentobarbital concentrations were undetectable (< 10 ppb) in liver samples retrieved from both the compost pile and loose soil by day 83. Rate of decay was faster in the soil, exponentially decreasing by 18% per day, with a half-life of 3 days, than in the compost pile where there was a 2% decrease per day and a half-life of 31 days, but occurred at the same rate of 1% and a half-life between 55 and 67 mesophilic degree days when calculated on the number of mesophilic degree days to which it was exposed. This suggests that breakdown of pentobarbital is not initiated by the heat of composting, but by the biological degradation that occurs in both soil and compost at mesophilic temperatures. Pentobarbital in the effluent decreased by 20% per day with a half-life of 3.1 days but was still detectable (0.1 ppm) at 223 days of composting. In year 2, phenylbutazone was not detected in any of the samples analyzed (compost and leachate) other than blood taken from the jugular vein of the horse immediately after euthanasia. Pentobarbital concentratoins in the compost were still detectable after 224 days of composting, but had decreased from 79.2 (initial) to 5.8 ppm. Pentobarbital in leachate was 2.2 ppm at day 56 of composting, after which no additional fluids leached into the leachate collection containers. Rate of decay in the leachate was 35.2% per day with a half-life of 1.6 days. When managed properly, composting will deter domestic and wild animals from scavenging on treated carcasses while they contain the highest drug concentrations providing an effective means of disposal of euthanized and/or NSAID treated livestock. The resulting compost contains either no or very low concentrations of both NSAIDs and barbiturates. 2013-03-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/30877 Title: Knowledgeable, Ready, Able - A Comprehensive Extension Agro-security Information Program for the Livestock & Poultry Industries Authors: Glanville, Tom; Klingborg, Don; Hutchinson, Mark; Rozeboom, Dale; Bonhotal, Jean 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/30864 Title: Quantification of Sodium Pentobarbital Residues from Equine Mortality Compost Piles Authors: Payne, Josh; Farris, Rodney; Parker, Gene; Bonhotal, Jean; Schwarz, Mary Abstract: Preliminary research has shown that sodium pentobarbital (SP), a euthanasia drug, can persist up to 180 days in equine mortality compost piles. This study attempts to expand upon past research by quantifying SP residues in equine mortality compost piles over a longer duration using innovative sampling schemes. Six, 3.7 m2 plots were used to construct separate compost bins with 3 bins serving as control. Each bin was constructed with 1.2 m high horse panels. The carbonaceous material consisted of wood chips that were added at a depth of 0.46 m creating the base. Twenty-four whiffle balls, pre-filled with wood chips were placed on the center of each pad. Nylon twine was tied to each ball for retrieval. Six horses requiring euthanasia for health reasons as determined by a licensed veterinarian were used for the study. The veterinarian supplied and humanely euthanized each horse. Each horse was sedated by injecting 8 ml of xylazine intravenously. Each of the three treatment horses were then euthanized by injecting 60 ml of SP intravenously. Each of the three control horses were anesthetized by injecting 15 ml of ketamine hydrochloride intravenously and then euthanized by gunshot to the temporal lobe. Immediately following euthanasia, each carcass was placed on the center of the woodchip pad and surrounded with 0.6 m of additional wood chips. Serum and liver samples were immediately obtained while whiffle ball, soil and compost samples were obtained over time. Each sample was analyzed for SP residues. Compost pile and ambient temperatures were also recorded. Preliminary data illustrates SP persistence up to 129 days in compost piles with no clear trend of reduction. Further sampling and analysis will be conducted. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/30575 Title: 4th International Symposium Managing Animal Mortalities, Products, By-Products & Associated Health Risk: Connecting Research, Regulations & Response Description: Emergency and routine management of animal bodies and (or) remains is a significant challenge and a major responsibility for the sustainability of agricultural, recreational, and natural animal systems. Strategies are critical in order to protect not only animal and human physical health, but more broadly, holistic health, which involves economic, social, and environmental components. In our times, we face the large-scale realities of biological pathogens, toxicological contaminants, radiological contamination, and natural disasters. Likewise important is the daily management of animal deaths and byproduct accumulation under normal and natural production. Research is necessary in developing effective response plans, as are the deliberative interactions among international, national, state, provincial, and local governments, public institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The 4th International Symposium on Managing Animal Mortality and Health Risk and the resulting Symposium Proceedings enable animal emergency responders, planners, educators, researchers, animal caretakers, livestock producers, food animal processors, food systems managers, and researchers to more effectively manage mass mortality events, animal disease outbreaks, and (or) food contamination events, should they occur. Experts from around the world have contributed new knowledge from lessons learned during these experiences, from demonstrations of depopulation, disposal, and decontamination technologies, from simulating a disease outbreak on an international border, and from recent, related research. The impact of this event will be further extended with the post-symposium release of the Compendium of Related Materials and White Paper. Partnering among the individuals planning the 4th International Symposium on Managing Animal Mortality and Health Risk, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate and the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease and Zoonotic Disease contributed to compilation of these resources and was greatly appreciated. In the future, this and broader working relationships will benefit the local, regional, national and international communities by capturing synergisms and efficiently using resources in research, education and policy-making efforts. Michigan State University was pleased to be the host institution for the 4th International Symposium on Managing Animal Mortality and Health Risk. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/29538 Title: Natural Rendering for Horses: Composting Horse Mortality - Video Authors: Bonhotal, Jean; Schwarz, Mary Description: Produced by Insights International, this video shows how to properly compost a dead horse. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/29111 Title: Composting at Home - The Green and Brown Alternative Authors: Schwarz, Mary; Bonhotal, Jean 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/29008 Title: Horse Mortality: Carcass Disposal Alternatives Authors: Bonhotal, Jean; Schwarz, Mary; Williams, Craig; Swinker, Ann 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/28634 Title: Selected Invertebrates of the Soil Food Web Authors: Jack, Allison; Thies, Janice; Drinkwater, Laurie Abstract: This short video contains annotated video microscopy footage of selected soil invertebrates that can be used for classroom or extension education in compost and soil ecology. Organisms include: millipedes, earthworms, pseudoscorpions, mites, springtails, and protozoa. Description: Content replaced at author's request on 06-Feb-2013 2012-03-21T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/24404 Title: How Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis is affected by the composting process Authors: Bonhotal, Jean; Schwarz, Mary; Stehman, Susan M. Abstract: The management of livestock manure has become increasingly important. Farms are separating, digesting and/or composting to create a value-added product that can either be used on site or sold off-farm. Regardless of the use, disinfection of this animal waste is important to the health of animals and humans. The high temperatures of composting have been shown to inactivate enteric pathogen indicator species such as E. coli but questions remain as to its ability to inactivate hardier pathogens such as Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP, the causal agent of Johne’s disease, is associated with economic losses worldwide. The disease is transmitted among livestock by the fecal-oral route, thus application of contaminated manure, slurry or compost to grazing or cropland could contribute to the spread of the disease. Manure from a Johne’s free farm was mixed with manure from a heavily shedding cow and formed into a windrow. The windrow was turned weekly and temperatures reached > 55oC for the course of the study. Thermophilic composting rendered MAP un-culturable as early as 5 days into the composting process and it remained un-culturable through day 70. 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z