Biosecurity in Livestock Farming
In recent years, increasing attention has been directed towards biosecurity in livestock farming.
Biosecurity is the set of measures adopted to maintain or improve the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the farm, with the aim of preventing the entry of new diseases and controlling the spread of existing ones, through a combination of structural interventions and organizational and behavioral procedures closely related to the type of facility.
Cleaning and Disinfection
Among the most important organizational procedures in livestock biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection certainly play a key role.
Cleaning and disinfection operations are closely related.
Most sanitizing or disinfecting products are inactivated or become less effective when in contact with organic matter, so the removal of dirt is an essential and indispensable practice for proper sanitation of the farm.
In this first article, we will delve into the cleaning phase and discuss detergents, what they are composed of, and how they work.
Biosecurity in Farming: Cleaning Operations
When we talk about cleaning, we refer to the removal of organic residues from environmental surfaces and farming equipment.
Cleaning procedures involve a combination of mechanical processes (such as the use of pressurized water) and chemical substances like detergents, which reduce the mechanical energy needed to remove dirt, thereby optimizing the result.
Detergents are generally composed of surfactants, molecules that significantly affect a solution by decreasing surface tension and increasing its wetting ability.
The wetting ability of a solution is the property of an aqueous solution to interact with immiscible substances, facilitating cleaning and emulsification processes.
When we talk about cleaning, we refer to the removal of organic residues from environmental surfaces and farming equipment.
Cleaning procedures involve a combination of mechanical processes (such as the use of pressurized water) and chemical substances like detergents, which reduce the mechanical energy needed to remove dirt, thereby optimizing the result.
Detergents are generally composed of surfactants, molecules that significantly affect a solution by decreasing surface tension and increasing its wetting ability.
The wetting ability of a solution is the property of an aqueous solution to interact with immiscible substances, facilitating cleaning and emulsification processes.
In the cleaning process, the detachment of organic substances occurs through the same mechanism as emulsification; however, the fundamental difference lies in the great ability of the hydrophilic group of the surfactant to lift dirt from a substrate.
This characteristic is typical of charged surfactants, particularly those with a negative charge.
Surfactants are classified into three classes based on their charge, which imparts specific properties to each category of surfactants:
- Anionic Surfactants
They have a negative electrostatic charge and are the most foaming class. They possess high emulsifying capacity. - Cationic Surfactants
They have a positive electrostatic charge and are highly foaming. - Non-Ionic Surfactants
They have low foaming power but good cleaning ability.
In addition to surfactants, detergents also contain complementary substances, such as pH stabilizers, water hardness reducers, oxidants like hypochlorites and chlorites that help degrade dirt, etc.
Biosecurity in Farming: Tecnozoo’s Proposals
Tecnozoo’s hygiene and biosecurity line includes a wide range of detergents and sanitizers.
Among the most suitable detergents for farming, LEVADA is a strong alkaline gel detergent ideal for your farm.
The presence of sodium hydroxide and anionic surfactants, which we have seen have high foaming and cleaning power, effectively removes dirt, grease, and waste even from areas where traditional methods are difficult to use.
It can be applied using both high and low-pressure foam production systems.
Learn more about hygiene and biosecurity products for farming
