• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.104-111
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• 2017

As carcass disposal is increasing widely in Republic of Korea, there is a need to comprehensively analyze the impacts and subsequent damages of carcass disposal. Especially, since environmental policy aims to not only reduce environmental damages, but also enhance overall sustainability, we apply the concept of environmental welfare to assess the comprehensive impact of carcass disposal, especially focusing on the rural area. In specific, assessment criteria were suggested based on the four categories related to environmental welfare, which were 'environmental quality', 'level of environmental service', 'environmental safety', and 'participation, openness to public, and communication'. The results showed negative impacts of carcass disposal in environmental, social and economical elements. Overall decrease in environmental quality negatively impacts the other elements of environmental welfare. Furthermore, there were discrepancies of level of impacts and damages among stakeholder. In the end, we suggest critical elements that need to be applied in relevant policies and regulation to promote effective carcass disposal management.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.137-147
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• 2013

A lot of burial sites for the disposal of the contagious livestock slaughtered by foot and mouth disease were constructed in a short time for preventing the rapid spread of the virus. More than 4,700 carcass burial sites were constructed in 2011. Approximately 7 million poultry and 3.5 million livestock including head of cattle and swine were buried in farm land. However, the available cost data for a burial site was not provided. This study was to performed in order to understand the economic issues related to carcass burial disposal. The data from a local government was analyzed and the assumption data web based was constructed to evaluate the cost for constructing a carcass burial. The results showed that the local government paid KRW 5,386 for the burial disposal of a mortality (swine). It was estimated that the cost could be reduced through an appropriate measures.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2010

Disposal methods of managing carcass in Korea livestock production systems include burying, digesting, rendering, carcass dumping to manure pile, dead animal disposer and mini-incinerator. Burying was usually the most practical method of carcass disposal in our livestock farms. Burying, carcass dumping to manure pile, dead animal disposer and mini-incinerator may have environmental regulatory and economic liabilities when used as a means of carcass disposal. In many cases in this survey, these disposal methods offer a poor choice for the producer due to individual site conditions, geology, cost, air emissions, rendering plants. A survey questionnaire that addressed the issues to livestock producers was prepared. The questionnaire addressed two main topics as follows: 1) types of livestock and generation amounts of carcass 2) Number of breeding animals and disposal methods of livestock mortality. A total of 36 livestock producers were interviewed. The results of obtained in this survey were summarized as follows: The number of breeding poultry, swine, beef cow and dairy cow was 251,000, 2,600, 142 and 92 heads per year and the generation amounts of annually carcass was 0.46, 15.32, 0.36, 1.36 tons per year of each poultry, swine, beef cow and dairy cow farms, respectively. The disposal methods of carcass were burying (42%), carcass dumping to manure pile (36%), rendering (8%), incineration (6%), digesting (6%), carcass disposer (2%), respectively. These results can be used as basic information to establish the standard of carcass composting facility.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2020

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian influenza (AI) are highly pathogenic viral disease which affects the livestock industry worldwide. Outbreak of these viruses causes great impact in the livestock industry; thus, disease infected animals were immediately disposed. Burial is the commonly used disposal method for deceased animals. However, there is potential for secondary environmental contamination, as well as the risk that infectious agents persisting in the environment due to the limited environmental controls in livestock burial sites during the decomposition of the carcasses. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the detection of FMD and AI viruses from animal carcass disposal sites using real-time reverse transcription PCR. Soil samples of more than three years post-burial from livestock carcass disposal sites were collected and processed RNA isolation using a commercial extraction kit. The isolated RNA of the samples was used for the detection of FMDV and AIV using qRT-PCR. Based on the qPCR assay result, no viral particle was detected in the soil samples collected from the animal disposal sites. This indicates that 3 years of burial and their carcass disposal method is efficient for the control or at least reduction of spread infections in the surrounding environment.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.409-416
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• 2012

In this study, an electrical resistivity survey and a drilling investigation were conducted at an animal carcass disposal site. Chemical analysis of leachate collected from the site was also performed (sampling times: May 2011 and June 2012). Five lines of dipole-dipole electrical resistivity surveys were carried out, along with drilling investigations at 3 points within the disposal areas and 11 points near the disposal site. Two-dimensional inverse modeling of the collected resistivity data was performed to evaluate the properties (size, depth, and form) of the disposal site. Leachate analysis showed that pH of leachate decreased from 7.4 to 6.7, while Eh changed from -358 mV to -48 mV over time. In addition, dissolved ions increased due to the progression of carcass decomposition. Results of the electrical resistivity survey indicated that low resistivity zones (minimum value, $0.64{\Omega}m$) existed at a depth of 8 m from the surface. Considering the bedrock location and carcass disposal depth, there was no evidence of bedrock contamination by leachate. The results of the electrical resistivity survey are consistent with those of the drilling investigation, which indicates that electrical resistivity effectively depicted the properties of the disposal site. This study demonstrates that electrical resistivity survey is a suitable technique for investigation of animal carcass disposal sites.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.503-508
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial communities in animal carcass disposal soils to examine the possible threat of pathogens from leachate. DNA extraction was performed for the soils in three carcass disposal sites located in Gyeonggi-do, Korea, and then 16S rRNA pyrosequencing was conducted to identify the microbial communities. Results indicate that, according to phylum classification, Proteobacteria (100%) was identified in soil A, Actinobacteria (66.4%) > Proteobacteria (31.1%) > Bacteriodetes (2.1%) > Acidobacteria (0.3%) in soil B, and Actinobacteria (63.1%) > Proteobacteria (36.9%) in soil C. According to genus classification, Pseudomonas was dominant in soil A (98%), Arthrobacter in soil B (68%) and C (61%). There were no detections of pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens. However, high concentration of Ralstonia pickettii causing bacteremia was observed. Although carcass disposal soils examined in this study were not highly contaminated with pathogens, further monitoring is still needed to examine the potential threat of pathogens in leachate derived from carcass disposal sites.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.725-734
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• 2012

The outbreak of foot and mouth disease in November 2010 raised many social, economic and environmental issues and water contaminations by leachate from carcass disposal sites particularly emerged as a serious concern. In oder to efficiently handle these problems, a critical method is required to transport leachate to livestock manure and sewage treatment plants and purify it. This study aims to present the best applicable method to transport leachate from carcass disposal sites into livestock manure and sewage treatment facilities. We investigated the biological and chemical characteristics such as BOD, COD, SS, TN, TP and Total coliforms. Current conjugated treatments in livestock manure and sewage treatment plants was studied by surveying the operations of those facilities. The NIER-MASS(National Institute of Environmental Research - Mass Balance Evaluation System of Sewage Treatment Facilities) program was applied to present the best conjugated treatment method through estimating the maximum daily load to meet the water quality standards in effluent.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.371-376
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• 2011

If animal disease, i.e., livestock foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, brings out, animals have to be disposed to prevent the virus spreading. Mainly, animals have been disposed by carcass disposal. However, If not done properly, carcass disposal can lead to environmental problems, i.e., soil and ground water pollution, etc. Therefore, various disposal methods, i.e., rendering, cremation, etc., have to be considered with burial. Also, various supplement policies are needed to prevent the animal disease. The purpose of this study was to find effective solutions for the prevention and biosecurity of animal disease.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.345-350
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• 2013

In this study, the physicochemical properties of leachate and the bacteria existence in leachate using molecular biology methods for 4 animal carcass disposals on the disposal lapse time was analyzed. The result of leachate physicochemical analysis in the middle stage (been buried 20 months) showed higher EC, DO, $HCO_3{^-}$, TOC, T-N and $SO_4{^{2-}}$ concentration compared to the first stage data (been buried 5 months). For identification of leachate using 16S rRNA method, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudoclavibacter helvolus, Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum and Corynebacterium callunae in the first stage, Bacillus cereus, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Bacillus circulans and Corynebacterium glutamicum in the middle stage was observed, while there were detections of pathogenicity bacteria such as B. cereus and L. sphaericus. This study improves our knowledge of the fate and transport in geologic media, treatment, risk analysis on the leachate from animal carcass disposal sites.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2014

In Korea, over 4,700 animal carcass disposal sites were installed until 2011 due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Due to the putrefaction of buried animals, the leachate containing veterinary antibiotics may release into surrounding environments. Antibiotic residues in the environment cause the formation of antibiotic resistance bacteria threatening human and ecosystem health. This study reports the concentrations of five antibiotics, including tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in soils from animal carcass disposal site and adjacent agricultural field. Concentrations of antibiotics at animal carcass disposal sites (TC: $144.26-350.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $17.72-44.94{\mu}g/kg$) were higher than those at agricultural field (TC: $134.16-320.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $6.48-8.85{\mu}g/kg$) whereas the concentrations of CTC, OTC, and SMX were below detection limit in both sites. Results showed that the antibiotics in animal carcass site might leach to the soil and possibly contaminating the groundwater. Future studies will focus on the transfer of antibiotics residues into food crops.