Managing Contaminated Animal and Plant Materials: Field Guide on ...

Thermalon piles of organic materials without theassistance of incineration equipment.The piles are made of materials such aswood or hay bales.• <strong>Field</strong> burning, in which contaminatedplant materials, such as field crops, areburned over large areas. Because ofregulatory statutes, field burning shouldbe considered only under emergencysituations <strong>and</strong> with appropriate regulatoryapprovals.SummaryTo select a feasible method, considerlogistics <strong>and</strong> the type of biomaterials involved(Table 1). The least desirable thermal methodfor carcasses is open-air burning; it should beavoided, primarily because its combustion isinefficient.Compared to the fixed-facility incineration<strong>and</strong> air-curtain burning methods, openairburning poses greater environmental <strong>and</strong>safety hazards.78