Leachate Characteristics Arising From The Foot and Mouth Mass Burial Site in Scotland

A.J. MacARTHUR*, J.C. MILNE**, P.J. YOUNG

*ENVIROS CONSULTING, Resource and Risk Management, Edinburgh, UK
**CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER, State Veterinary Service (Scotland),Edinburgh, UK
ENVIROS CONSULTING, Corporate Group, Shrewsbury, UK

SUMMARY: The 2001 outbreak of Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) affected many rural areas throughout the United Kingdom. Premises found to be infected with the disease had their stock slaughtered and disposed by incineration on-farm in order to prevent further spread of the disease.

“This paper provides information which applies not only to foot and mouth burials, but may also be relevant in the wake of the Tsunami disaster. ”

Similarly, in Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway premises adjacent to, or within 3km of, an infected premise were also culled. In the majority of cases these stock were either rendered, incinerated or buried at centralised off-farm facilities.

In Scotland, the mass burial site was located at Birkshaw Forest near Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway. This site contains over 400,000 carcasses and this paper describes the character of the Leachate, discusses the potential of the FMD virus surviving in leachate, and the methods available for inactivating the virus in leachate during the initial period of infectivity.