Why is hydrogen sulfide so important in manure management?
Hydrogen sulfide is highly lethal to both humans and livestock. Incidents of animal deaths attributable to hydrogen sulfide toxicity have been reported particularly when manure storage tanks beneath slotted floors have been agitated prior to pumping to a tank truck or an irrigation system. There is no doubt about the likelihood of achieving concentrations of hydrogen sulfide well in excess of the concentration considered toxic to humans (0.05 %) when agitating a manure storage. Hydrogen sulfide is recognized because of its having a typical rotten egg odor that most people associate with high school chemistry laboratories. Unfortunately, at higher concentrations where it is toxic, hydrogen sulfide immediately blocks the olfactory process to the extent that nothing is smelled. 19. What is the best time of day to spread manure if I want to minimize the release of odors? Odor dispersion is best when the atmosphere is unstable and ground level air is rising because it is warmer than that at
