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Silo gas a
real danger
Virginia fanners face a potential harvest hazard as they attempt to salvage drought-stunted crops this fall, warn Extension specialists at Virginia Tech.
“This is a year that farmers should be particularly sensitive to the formation of dangerous silo gas,” said Glen H. Hetzel, Extension farm safety specialist..
Silo gas is a common occurrence in com silage fermentation. However, environmental extremes, such as drought, increase the likelihood that higher-than-normal amounts of the toxic gas will be produced during the fermentation process.
“Nitrogen dioxide is the predominant gas in silo gas,” Hetzel explained. “It can form within two hours after corn is placed in an upright silo and may last for a period of two or three weeks. ”
Depending on the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, the presence of the gas will be recognized by a burning sensation in the nose, throat and chest. When inhaled, the gas can cause extensive lung damage. Exposure to heavy concentrations can result in deaths within seconds.
“Silo gas poisoning tends to produce a false sense of well-being or euphoria and initial exposures often do not alert a farmer to the presence of the gas,” said Hetzel. “Even slight throat irritation or coughing may signal the presence of lethal gas.”
Silo gas may also be visible as a yellowish-brown gas with an odor similar to laundry bleach. Nitrogen dioxide is heavier than air and will tend to settle on top of the silage,
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