<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Pig slurry is a heterogeneous mixture of faeces, urine, undigested remains of feed items and water used for flushing of animal excrement and to maintain the proper hygiene of livestock housing. It is formed on farms which use the non-bedding system of pig breeding i.e. animals are kept on the partially or fully slatted floors. According to the Polish law pig slurry is defined as a liquid natural fertilizer intended for agricultural use. The storage and application of pig slurry on arable land affect the surroundings and may create a number of serious risks related to, among others, the pollution of water-soil environment with biogenic elements, heavy metals, pathogens and pharmaceuticals. The article presents the reasons for the occurrence of excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antibiotics in pig slurry. The possibility of microbial and pharmaceutical contamination of water, soil and plants as well as their pollution with biogens and heavy metals as a result of improper storage and excessive spreading of pig slurry have been characterized. Moreover, methods of preventing the above-mentioned threats with reference to Polish and EU legal acts have been discussed.</p></abstract>

Pig slurry is a heterogeneous mixture of faeces, urine, undigested remains of feed items and water used for flushing of animal excrement and to maintain the proper hygiene of livestock housing. It is formed on farms which use the non-bedding system of pig breeding i.e. animals are kept on the partially or fully slatted floors. According to the Polish law pig slurry is defined as a liquid natural fertilizer intended for agricultural use. The storage and application of pig slurry on arable land affect the surroundings and may create a number of serious risks related to, among others, the pollution of water-soil environment with biogenic elements, heavy metals, pathogens and pharmaceuticals. The article presents the reasons for the occurrence of excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antibiotics in pig slurry. The possibility of microbial and pharmaceutical contamination of water, soil and plants as well as their pollution with biogens and heavy metals as a result of improper storage and excessive spreading of pig slurry have been characterized. Moreover, methods of preventing the above-mentioned threats with reference to Polish and EU legal acts have been discussed.

The Possibility of Contamination of Water-Soil Environment as a Result of the Use of Pig Slurry

Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology

Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Pig slurry is a heterogeneous mixture of faeces, urine, undigested remains of feed items and water used for flushing of animal excrement and to maintain the...

The Possibility of Contamination of Water-Soil Environment as a Result of the Use of Pig Slurry

Published Online: Jul 18, 2019

Page range: 313 - 330

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2019-0022

Keywords
pig slurry, biogenic elements, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics

© 2019 Marta Marszałek et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Possibility of Contamination of Water-Soil Environment as a Result of the Use of Pig Slurry

Published Online: Jul 18, 2019

Page range: 313 - 330

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2019-0022

Keywordspig slurry, biogenic elements, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics

© 2019 Marta Marszałek et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
pig slurry, biogenic elements, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, antibiotics