*Associate Professor and Extension Veterinarian, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System. Rhinitis is an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and is present to some degree in almost every commercial swine herd. This kind of inflammation can be caused by bacteria, viruses, chemicals (manure gas), dust, pollen, temperature fluctuations, and other irritants in ...

In this study the effects of temperature on anaerobic co-digestion of saw dust with cattle dung is investigated. It also simulates the biogas production from saw dust with cattle dung at various temperatures. Results showed that high temperature could improve the anaerobic digestion and hence increase the biogas production rates. The operating temperatures used in this study were 35°C, 45°C, an...

Emissions odors, gases, and dust from livestock production facilities arise primarily from three sources; buildings, manure storages, and land application (1). Emissions from buildings and storages form a baseline emission level. Eliminating emissions from one of the sources will likely not eliminate emissions entirely. Control technologies often address only one of the three sources. Many of t...

PURPOSE To assess the relative efficacy of three types of controls in reducing respirable silica exposure during artificial stone countertop cutting with a handheld circular saw. APPROACH A handheld worm drive circular saw equipped with a diamond segmented blade was fitted with water supply to wet the blade as is typical. The normal wetted-blade condition was compared to (i) wetted-blade plus...

Nitrate contamination is one of the major problems in groundwater, which is increasingly becoming a threat to groundwater supplies. Nitrogen in groundwater also results from human excreta, ground garbage and industrial effluents, particularly from food processing plants. In order to remove nitrate from a water source, such as ground water the biological denitrification technology can be applied...

This study assessed the effectiveness of commercially available local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems for controlling respirable dust and crystalline silica exposures during concrete cutting and grinding activities. Work activities were performed by union-sponsored apprentices and included tuck-point grinding, surface grinding, paver block and brick cutting (masonry saw), and concrete block c...

Three typical biological solid wastes, animal manure, garbage, and sewage sludge, were compared with regard for the composting process and the changes in microbial community structure. The effect of different bulking agents such as rice straw, vermiculite, sawdust, and waste paper were compared in manure compost. The differences in the microbial community were characterized by the quinone profi...

Chromium, especially the hexavalent form, is toxic to humans. Industries like chrome plating, textile, electroplating discharge Cr(VI) in their effiuents. Wastes containing chromium are environmentally persistent and toxic, and cannot be degraded or detoxified biologically. Various techniques developed for the removal of heavy metals include chemical precipitation, ion exchange and adsorption. ...