Many odor-control compounds are available commercially, but they should be tested before large quantities are purchased. They are perhaps the most predictable and generally the most effective of the odor-control compounds. If used, they should be added just before transporting manure to a field. Odor-masking agents are best used on an intermittent basis, however, and only when severe problems are anticipated. Prolonged use of the masking agents may become more offensive than the original odors.
Counteractant chemicals interact with selected odors to reduce their intensity.
These compounds have had limited success. Oxidants and bacterial inhibitors include hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, and ozone. They oxidize already formed odors and lessen odor production by reducing bacterial populations. None of the oxidants have been very successful, and the quantities required make the costs high. Ozone, produced on-site by an ozone generator, reduces odor, but only after a long contact time.