How long does it take to burn a carcass in an Air Curtain Burner, and how are the carcasses prepared for disposal, if at all?
Once operating temperatures have been reached (by use of wood waste, fire wood, etc.) a 450 pound (200kg) hog, for example, is typically reduced to ash (teeth, bones and all) in about 15 minutes. It is not easy to predict the throughput in terms of number of cadavers burned, because many factors affect the time it will take to reduce a carcass, such as fat content, moisture content, firebox or pit temperature, type of wood waste used, etc. Usually, the carcasses are introduced immediately upon euthanasia of the diseased animal (Unless BSE or CWD verification testing is performed on the entire herd which cannot yet be accomplished on animals while alive). This is minimizing the health risk to humans, as no transport, rendering or any further handling of the diseased carcass is required. This coupled with the high temperatures assuring prion destruction are the two single most important advantages of the Air Burners systems, setting them aside from all else available. For more informatio
