The findings of a study at Bangor University look set to change regulations that severely impact upon the livelihood of farmers throughout Europe. Since 2003, farmers are not allowed to bury dead animals. The Animal By-Product Regulations (ABPR) (1774/2002) state that dead livestock must be collected by an approved contractor and then be incinerated or rendered. This has severe financial and practical implications for the livestock industry.

However, the findings of scientists at the School of the Environment and Natural Resources may lead to changes in the ABPR. They have developed an innovative system called Bioreduction, which is an on-farm containment system for dead livestock. The system is essentially simple and involves placing a large fibreglass vessel in the ground, which is then half-filled with water. The water is then heated continuously to 40 °C and regularly aerated. Dead livestock are then placed into the vessel, together with a catalytic product. The carcass rapidly decays due to microbial and enzymatic degradation, leaving only liquid waste after 3-6 months. The vessel is then emptied, and the waste is incinerated. Due to the reduction of the waste volume, the vessel rarely requires emptying so disposal costs are considerably less. It is also likely to reduce the likelihood of spreading disease between farms and reduce pollution as the current system involved lorries frequently travelling large distances between farms, collecting individual or small numbers of carcasses.

The project has received £140,000 of funding by the Welsh Assembly Government and Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales). The research is being led by Dr Prysor Williams, together with Prof. Davey Jones and Prof. Gareth Edwards-Jones.  

"To be accepted into European Regulations, the system must be proven to be safe, and the findings to date have shown that Bioreduction does not generate or dissipate any harmful gases or pathogens," explains Dr Prysor Williams.

Dr Williams and Prof. Jones were recently invited to present the findings of their work to Members of the European Parliament (MEP) and their scientific advisers in addition to heads of policy, at a meeting in the European Commission, Brussels. The findings of the work drew considerable interest from countries all over Europe.

A farmer’s son himself, Dr Prysor Williams is all too-aware of the implications of the Animal By-Product Regulations and that is what instigated the research: “We sometimes hear that scientific projects have no real value to anyone. However, this study may help solve a real issue to the European livestock industry. It has had overwhelming support from industry, with many requests for presentations at farmers’ union meetings.

 “In light of the findings, the European Commission has already decided to amend the Regulations to allow for on-farm containment of dead animals. There is some more work we need to do before Bioreduction itself can be fully evaluated by the EC and we are actively working to answer those questions. However, the results to date are very encouraging and we hope to make significant progression over the next six months”. 

The project has also received considerable support from government, including Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones and MEP Jill Evans. Speaking during the trip to Brussels, Jill Evans said "the bioreducer being developed at Bangor University is an environmentally and economically sustainable solution to the problem of disposing dead livestock. The success of the co-operation between the Welsh Assembly Government and Bangor University will mean that Wales is leading the way on this important issue in Europe".

The findings of the trial to date will appear in a forthcoming edition of the journal Bioresource Technology.

Representatives of Bangor University and the Welsh Assembly Government visit the European Parliament in Brussels for a presentation hosted by MEP Jill Evans to make the case for on-farm containment of fallen stock. Pictured left to right are Huw Jones (Welsh Assembly Government), Dr Prysor Williams (Bangor University), Jill Evans MEP, Prof Davey Jones (Bangor University) and Les Eckford (Welsh Assembly Government Veterinary Advisor).