Ozone fumigation of stored grain; closed-loop recirculation and the rate of ozone consumption

Research using ozone gas as a fumigant has shown promise in controlling stored-grain insect pests. In addition to being toxic to insects, ozone gas is unstable and decays naturally into diatomic oxygen and must be continually replenished to maintain entomologically lethal concentrations in the grain...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of stored products research Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 149 - 154
Main Authors:	Hardin, J.A., Jones, C.L., Bonjour, E.L., Noyes, R.T., Beeby, R.L., Eltiste, D.A., Decker, S.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2010 Elsevier
Subjects:	Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions air flow Biological and medical sciences chemical concentration chemical treatment Closed-loop fumigation corn fumigation Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology General agronomy. Plant production Grain storage grain storage facilities half life hard red winter wheat Harvesting. Postharvest. Storage Insect control oxygen Ozonation Ozone simulation models storage insects temperature temporal variation Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting Ozonation Closed-loop fumigation Grain storage Ozone Insect control Consumption Fumigation Grains Insecta Stored food product Recirculation Ozonization Storage Arthropoda Invertebrata
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Summary:	Research using ozone gas as a fumigant has shown promise in controlling stored-grain insect pests. In addition to being toxic to insects, ozone gas is unstable and decays naturally into diatomic oxygen and must be continually replenished to maintain entomologically lethal concentrations in the grain mass. This two-part study quantifies the rate of ozone gas decay encountered in typical grain storage environments. From this, ozone generation capacity can be modeled. A pilot study was conducted in a commercial steel grain bin filled with 13.6 tonnes of hard red winter wheat. The bin was equipped with a closed-loop recirculation system to capture and reuse ozone gas that had passed through the grain. A second laboratory study was conducted on 55 kg samples of wheat and corn to determine the rate of ozone decay in different grains at different fumigation temperatures. With previously untreated grain samples, initial ozone decay is high. After a passivation period that ranged from 53.5 to 84.7 h, the decay rate reached a steady state. The half-life of ozone ranged from 122 s in grade 4 wheat with high foreign matter content, to 242 s in grade 2 wheat. Results show that the rate of ozone decay in wheat and corn was not significantly affected by temperature in the range in which fumigations are typically undertaken.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2010.03.002
ISSN:	0022-474X 1879-1212
DOI:	10.1016/j.jspr.2010.03.002