Natural zeolite’s largest documented U.S. end uses are animal feed and odor control, and a 2024 feedlot-cattle study shows that how it’s applied — not just that it’s used — determines whether it actually reduces ammonia emissions. This page covers that end-use split and what the study found about particle size and application method.
What is it?
Natural zeolite is a mineral used mainly as a feed additive and for odor control. Per the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025, an estimated 73,000 tons of natural zeolites were sold in the United States during 2024, 4% less than in 2023, with animal feed accounting for 46% and odor control for 12% of the domestic sales tonnage.
Why should I use it?
- Animal feed and odor control are the two largest documented end uses, together accounting for well over half of U.S. sales tonnage — see “What is it?” above.
- Research has directly shown feeding a natural zeolite variant can reduce manure ammonia emissions, when applied the right way — see Limitations.
How it’s used
In agriculture, natural zeolite is added directly to animal feed and also used for general odor control.
Limitations — when it isn’t the right choice
- Effectiveness depends on both particle size and how it’s applied — it isn’t enough to simply add zeolite to a system. A 2024 peer-reviewed feedlot-cattle study tested clinoptilolite, a natural zeolite, included at 2.5% of diet dry matter with particle sizes of either 30 or 400 micrometers, comparing feeding it to the animals against applying it directly to the pen surface. Feeding the 400-micrometer particle size reduced manure ammonia emissions, but applying the same material to the pen surface was ineffective. The study also found changes in mineral excretion that suggest potential mineral bioavailability concerns worth checking before adopting a feeding program. These results are specific to this particle-size range, inclusion rate, and feedlot cattle; they should not be assumed to hold for other animals, inclusion rates, or particle sizes without separate verification.
