Abstract
The drying (or dewatering) of fresh feces and fecal sludge is a productive step in the management of sanitation, waste treatment, and resource recovery services. An improved understanding of fresh feces and fecal sludge drying would contribute to the development and deployment of fecal sludge management services. However, there is a lack of available literature on the fundamental drying characteristics of fresh feces. In response to this gap, this work shares experimental results for equilibrium moisture content of fresh feces at different water activity levels (aw) and proposes the use of the Guggenheim, Anderson, and de Boer (GAB) model for predicting aw, calculating the heat of sorption, and estimating the corresponding energy requirements for drying of fresh feces. This is the first time this work has been done with fresh feces. The total heat of evaporation was significant up to a moisture content of about 0.2 kg water per kg dry solids. In addition to informing drying process design, the sorption isotherm can be used to predict microbial activity, which could improve the management of feces and fecal sludge from a public health perspective. These data in turn will be used to promote access to dignified, safe, and sustainable sanitation.
Highlights
Effective sanitation, waste treatment and resource recovery systems are central when it comes to the protection of human health, prevention of environmental degradation, and reclamation of valuable resources
Excreta that is unsafely managed can leach into the environment, polluting surface water and groundwater. This has significant public health consequences: about 88% of all diarrheal deaths are attributed to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) systems and diarrheal disease caused over 71 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in 2010 [2,3]
Prioritizing universal access to effective sanitation systems is an issue of equity with far-reaching implications: the poorest households are least able to invest in their own sanitation systems and are the most vulnerable to adverse public health, and socioeconomic, outcomes associated with ineffective sanitation systems [5]
Summary
Waste treatment and resource recovery systems are central when it comes to the protection of human health, prevention of environmental degradation, and reclamation of valuable resources. Excreta that is unsafely managed can leach into the environment, polluting surface water and groundwater. This has significant public health consequences: about 88% of all diarrheal deaths are attributed to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) systems and diarrheal disease caused over 71 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in 2010 [2,3]. This global sanitation crisis is “rooted in aspects of poverty, power, and inequality” [4]. Prioritizing universal access to effective sanitation systems is an issue of equity with far-reaching implications: the poorest households are least able to invest in their own sanitation systems and are the most vulnerable to adverse public health, and socioeconomic, outcomes associated with ineffective sanitation systems [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
