Guidelines
on Handling Urine and Faeces
The
fundamental principle behind ecological sanitation is the idea of
"closing the loop", which, in short, means returning the valuable
nutrients found in human excreta to the environment by using the
sanitized excreta as agricultural fertilizer. Although some ecological
sanitation users may not have the space or desire to grow crops, they
still need knowledge about disposing of sanitized excreta safely.
What is
known unmistakably about the safe handling of human excreta is that
pathogens (disease-causing bacteria) are most effectively removed when
urine and faeces are separated at the source, meaning the urine is
collected in a different container than the faeces by using a urine
diverting system. Whether the intended use of the excreta is for
agriculture or disposal, there are benefits to collecting urine and
faeces separately: reduced volume, reduced odour and reduced moisture.
Different types of urine diversion systems are available to fit a
variety of latrines, climates and cultures.
Factors
such as moisture and humidity, pH level, temperature and time effect the
rate of pathogen die-off in human excreta, mainly faeces, which
contributes a greater number of pathogens and poses a larger health risk
than urine does. About half of faecal material is composed of bacteria,
while urine is normally sterile.
The
EcoSanRes Programme, in conjunction with the Swedish Institute for
Infectious Disease Control (SMI), is currently working on definitive
guidelines for safe handling of urine and faeces. The objective of the
guidelines is to document current best-practices in managing human
excreta. Safe handling of excreta becomes important when closing the
loop in an ecological sanitation system, as the urine and faeces are
collected for agricultural use. Ecosan stresses the linkage between
people and soil and attempts to de-link sanitation from the water cycle.
The
guidelines will be the first documents of their kind, and will be based
on existing literature and scientific research through experimentation
and pilot project study. The guidelines and accompanying fact sheets
will be adapted to suit the needs of ecological sanitation users in
differing climatic and cultural conditions.
Contact
Dr. Caroline Schönning (
)
or Thor Axel Stenström (
)
for more information. |