# Slurry pit

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{{Short description|Animal waste lagoon}}
{{about|animal and organic waste storage|other types of slurry|Slurry}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2012}}
thumb|A fence-protected slurry pit.
A '''slurry pit''', also known as a farm slurry pit, '''slurry tank''', '''slurry lagoon''' or '''slurry store''', is a hole, dam, or circular concrete structure where farmers gather all their [animal waste](/source/animal_waste) together with other unusable [organic matter](/source/organic_matter), such as [hay](/source/hay) and water run off from washing down [dairies](/source/dairy), stables, and barns, in order to convert it over a lengthy period of time into [fertilizer](/source/fertilizer) that can eventually be reused on their lands to fertilize [crop](/source/crop)s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisdairyfarming.com/discover/dairy-farming-facts/what-is-a-slurry-tank/|title=What is a slurry tank? &#124; Dairy Farming Facts |publisher=Thisisdairyfarming.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisdairyfarming.com/discover/farms/slurry-lagoon/|title=Slurry lagoons &#124; Dairy Farming Facts |publisher=Thisisdairyfarming.com |date= |accessdate=2014-06-08}}</ref> The decomposition of this waste material produces deadly gases, making slurry pits potentially lethal without precautions such as the use of a breathing apparatus with air supply.<ref name="hseni">{{cite web|url=http://farmsafe.hseni.gov.uk/slurry_gases_can_kill.pdf|title=Slurry Gases Can Kill|publisher=HSENI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043858/http://farmsafe.hseni.gov.uk/slurry_gases_can_kill.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Nutrient value ==
The [liquid manure](/source/liquid_manure) blend, or slurry, can be a rich source of [nitrogen](/source/nitrogen), [phosphorus](/source/phosphorus), and [potassium](/source/potassium).

==Risks==
Slurry pits present risks of drowning, as well as of suffocation. Decomposition generates gases such as ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, and [hydrogen sulphide](/source/hydrogen_sulphide). The latter two are heavier than air and will not disperse quickly from low places. Carbon dioxide is odorless, and [hydrogen sulfide](/source/hydrogen_sulfide) quickly becomes undetectable by odor by destroying victims' sense of smell. If inhaled, they can cause rapid unconsciousness by poisoning or displacement of oxygen leading to [hypoxia](/source/Hypoxia_(medical)). Death may follow then from poisoning or hypoxia directly, or by drowning caused by unconsciousness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19623343|title=The lethal risks of working with slurry|publisher=[BBC News Online](/source/BBC_News_Online)|date=17 September 2012}}</ref><ref>
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10277346 Boy drowned in Shropshire slurry pit, inquest told] BBC News Online 2010-06-09</ref><ref>
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-14172822 Two men killed in Essex farm slurry pit] BBC News Online 2011-07-16</ref><ref>
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19614688 Slurry tank tragedy: Rugby star Nevin Spence killed] BBC News Online 2012-09-16</ref><ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27746259|title=Boy dies in slurry tank accident near Dunloy, County Antrim|date=8 June 2014|publisher=BBC News Online}}</ref><ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27754408|title=Dunloy farm death: What is slurry and why is it so dangerous?|publisher=BBC News Online|date=8 June 2014}}</ref> The UK Health and Safety Executive also warns against the creation of naked flames near slurry pits, as gases such as methane are inherently flammable.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 2015|title=Managing slurry on farms|url=https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais9.pdf|website=HSE}}</ref> The Health and Safety Executive of Northern Ireland specifies activity in a slurry pit as specialist work, requiring the worker to have a separate air supply and a harness lifeline managed by two additional people outside the tank.<ref name="hseni" /> According to the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland, between 2000 and 2010, 30% of all child fatalities on farms occurred from drowning in slurry or water.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Slurry Safety|url=https://www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/agriculture_forestry/other_hazards/slurry/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Health and Safety Authority|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[Manure management](/source/Manure_management)

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Agricultural buildings
Category:Feces
Category:Organic fertilizers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Slurry pit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slurry_pit) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slurry_pit?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.