Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to? The answer to both of these questions is yes – and doing so could help us address issues of ...
Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to?
The answer to both of these questions is yes – and doing so could help us address issues of water contamination and climate change. Cattle urine is high in nitrogen, and this contributes to a range of environmental problems.
When cows are kept mainly outdoors, the nitrogen from their urine breaks down in the soil. This produces two problematic substances: nitrate and nitrous oxide.
Nitrate from urine patches leaches into lakes, rivers and aquifers (underground pools of water contained by rock) where it pollutes the water and contributes to the excessive growth of weeds and algae. Nitrous oxide is a long-lasting greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It accounts for about 12% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, and much of this comes from the agricultural sector.
When cows are kept mainly in barns, as is the case in Europe and North America, another polluting gas – ammonia – is produced when the nitrogen from urine mixes with faeces on the barn floor.
However, if some of the urine produced by cattle could be captured and treated, the nitrogen it contains could be diverted, and the environmental impacts reduced. But how might urine capture be achieved?
We worked on this...
