Idea Exchange: Reduce fecal fumes with a compost bin

Our lab area can get pretty stinky when fecal samples sit out on the counter, waiting to be read or to be packaged for the off-site laboratory. So when we know there is going to be a delay between receiving the sample and being able to process it, we place the well-labeled sample into a compost bin with a built-in charcoal filter. The bin sits at a specific place on the counter when empty and is moved next to the microscope when it has a sample in it, so the technician knows to process it. Adding this step to our fecal sample processing routine has substantially cut down on bad smells in the lab area.

The staff at Arbor Animal Hospital

La Grange Park, Illinois