Laboratory scale inactivation of pig viruses in pig slurry and design of a pilot plant for thermal inactivation

African swine fever (ASF) and swine vesicular disease (SVD) are virus diseases that threaten the pig populations in Europe. This paper examines the effectiveness of two methods used to inactivate these two viruses in pig slurry, and then describes the design of a pilot plant which makes use of one inactivation method. The first method is the addition of alkali, specifically NaOH or Ca(OH)2 at various concentrations. ASF virus (ASFV) required 1% of either NaOH or Ca(OH)2 for inactivation; SVD virus (SVDV) required 1.5% NaOH or Ca(OH)2 for similar inactivation. The second method was the application of heat. ASFV was inactivated to below detectable levels at 56°C within 90 seconds, whereas SVDV required 60°C for inactivation within 90 seconds. Heat was identified as the most suitable method, and a pilot plant was designed and assembled for the inactivation of viruses in pig slurry at a rate of up to 100 litres per hour.