Kenita Roberts, Melinda Franklin-Lynch and Rennard Overton
📃• URC22 Abstract •
Published: May 16, 2022 • Book of Abstracts (Forthcoming) of the 4th Undergraduate Research Conference. University of Guyana, Office for Undergraduate Research.
Kenita Roberts ✉️Melinda Franklin-Lynch Department of Environmental Studies. Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences. University of Guyana-Turkeyen Campus. Greater Georgetown, Guyana
Rennard Overton Department of Agriculture. Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. University of Guyana-Turkeyen Campus. Greater Georgetown, Guyana.
The improper disposal of effluent and offal from a slaughterhouse can pose health and environmental concerns. This research was conducted at the *Atlantic Beef Abattoir, with the objectives of understanding the process of slaughtering and identifying the potential sources of waste generation; comparing the waste management practices of the studied abattoir to international best practices; and identifying the challenges of waste management at the Atlantic beef abattoir. The methods employed included interviews with three individuals from the environmental health department at the NDC. Non-participation observation was journaled for the slaughtering of eight bovine animals to collect qualitative data. The study revealed that the slaughtering of animals at the *Atlantic Beef Abattoir has approximately 11 steps that begin with the ante mortem inspection. During the killing process, most waste or by-products are generated. The waste products that were identified were infected carcasses, faeces, blood, wastewater and unwanted body parts. The waste management practices when compared to the Industry Guide on Edible Co-Products and Animal by-products revealed that the *Atlantic Beef Abattoir does not comply with the waste management guidelines, though, compliance is not a requirement. The challenges of waste management at the study location include maintenance of the facility such as the drainage and disposal bins. This project may open avenues for further research to assess the impact of waste management of abattoir waste on the environment.
Keywords: Abattoir, Waste, By-products, International best practices
The 4th Undergraduate Research Conference (URC22) is hosted by the University of Guyana’s Office for Undergraduate Research on May 18-20, 2022.
