The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) developed a mobile carbon dioxide (CO2) depopulation system for use in disease or other catastrophic events requiring mass depopulation of swine. The system is comprised of various vaporizers, depopulation containers, outside conveyors, transloading chutes, and a process to reclaim CO2 vapor. The system operates by converting liquid CO2 into a vapor and introducing the vapor into a chamber at a rate in accordance with the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) guidelines on euthanasia. Once the process is complete and the CO2 has been reclaimed, conveyor floors then move the carcasses out of the chamber onto another conveyor, which then move the carcasses into a disposal vehicle. During the project, the Department built ten containers which are 40 and 45 feet long and can hold up to one hundred market weight pigs. CO2 is measured by placing probes on the sides of the container to ensure the proper concentration of CO2 is introduced. The process is humane, and the mobility of the equipment make it ideal for use during a disease event.

[:en]Mike is a project manager with ten years of experience. Primary focus is managing animal mortalities in disease and catastrophic events including hurricanes, floods, and disease such as avian influenza.[:]