Thursday, May 12, 2005

K-State College of Veterinary Medicine to Implement New Technology

By Amber Haag

Kansas State University researchers work to stay at the forefront of technology.
The College of Veterinary Medicine is doing just that by installing a WR2 Tissue Digestor in mid-May in the department of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology.

The digester uses alkaline hydrolysis, a relatively new carcass disposal technology, to dispose of dead animal carcasses and eliminate disease agents. The majority of animals disposed using the digester will come from routine postmortem examinations where veterinarians and/or owners want to know why the animal died.

Tracey Weston, staff assistant in the diagnostic laboratory at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, said the digester works like a stomach digesting food. It uses chemicals to turn biological material into a sterile, water-like solution that can be released into the sewer system. The only material that is not completely broken down is bone. Only 2 percent of the total carcass weight is left at the end of the alkaline hydrolysis process.

"If you think in general, the disposal of a dead animal is uncomfortable," said Gary Anderson, diagnostic laboratory director at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine. "The digester goes a long way to make it less offensive, because we are controlling possible disease outbreaks."

The alkaline hydrolysis process used in the digester has been studied and shown to destroy harmful disease agents, including chronic wasting disease in deer and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, as well as radioactively contaminated tissues.

"It's a step higher in controlling disease," Anderson said. "We're trying to get rid of hazards associated with bioterrorism and food safety. Frankly, the whole operation should be safer and more sensible for the environment than incineration."

Anderson said the technology for the digester was driven by a need for it, and K-State is in the first phase of implementing the technology.

Some institutions implemented the technology in the mid- to late-1990s, but most of the 30-40 institutions with the technology, including Colorado State University and Texas A&M University, only received the digestion units in the last five years.

"Getting the digester is the wise and right thing for us to do now that the technology is there," Anderson said. "We should be leaders, not followers, in controlling disease and protecting the environment."

Weston said the department of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology determined the digester was needed to serve not only the university but also the state of Kansas.

"With the help of Sen. Pat Roberts we received federal funds to pay for approximately two-thirds of the total cost," said Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. "We appreciate Sen. Roberts' work. This equipment will be helpful to not only our college and our university, but to the entire state as well."

Anderson said the disease-control factors, along with the environment-friendly nature of the alkaline hydrolysis process and the digester, are the reasons why the money was made available to bring it to Kansas.

Campus, city, county and state health and safety officials have been involved in the implementation of the digester at K-State to ensure the safety of the process. Many safety guards are built in to the digester, and the College of Veterinary Medicine has added their own, Anderson said.

Weston said Roberts, R-Kan., and Dr. Kevin Varner, federal area veterinarian in charge, were instrumental in bringing the digester to K-State.

Weston said the following people from K-State were also instrumental in the process:

Dr. M.M. Chengappa, department head of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology; Dr. George Kennedy, recently retired diagnostic laboratory director; Sue Peterson, assistant to the president and director of governmental relations; Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine; and President Jon Wefald.