Ecological Sanitation Research Articles

Determinants Sustainability Elimination of Open Defecation in Rural Areas: Case of Bouaflé Department (West Central of Côte d’Ivoire)

The department of Bouaflé is increasingly faced with health problems related to inadequate family sanitation. This situation creates high risks of high mortality and morbidity. In order to help significantly reduce these risks, EAA has initiated a project to promote family sanitation, ecological sanitation latrines (EcoSan) and the reuse of its by-products in agriculture in several villages in this department. The objective of this study is to assess the sustainability of ecological sanitation in rural areas in the said department. In order to achieve this objective, in addition to the literature review, this study was part of a mixed approach mobilizing related techniques and tools. The results obtained revealed that full latrine coverage and hand hygiene are not effective in all households.The factors contributing to the maintenance of the status of end of defecation in the open air in rural areas, especially the use of by-products in agriculture, are problematic. However, some of the households using the hygienized human excreta (HHE) show that crops fertilized by HHEs grow faster, the leaves of the plants are greener, have larger grains and fruits with a good taste when ripe. In addition, they control several pathogens, particularly Swollen Shoot in cocoa plantations.

People’s Perception on Ecological Sanitation and Health Risks Associated in Central Nepal

People’s Perception on Ecological Sanitation and Health Risks Associated in Central Nepal

Pre-Implementation Perceptions Among Teachers on the Use of Ecological Sanitation and Application of Human Urine as Fertilizer

Although human urine contains nutrients for plant growth, very few community schools in Nepal use a urine diversion dry toilet (UDDT) and apply the human urine as fertilizer in their school garden. Using human urine in agriculture reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, thus saving the expenditure associated with it. Application of human urine improves the soil fertility and may contribute to increased food security among school children if the school can supply the canteen with food for mid-day meals. This study adopted a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in order to understand stakeholder perspectives and involve them in the planning and implementation of urine diverting toilets. The data for this study were collected from five teachers’ focus group discussions. This paper presents teachers’ perceptions of the urine diversion dry toilet system and use of human urine as a fertilizer for the school garden. Only a few teachers accepted that human urine could be used as fertilizer, however, they were not willing to use it on their crops since it was considered impure. Due to a perceived bad odor and the uncomfortable sitting position on the UDDT, particularly for females, teachers disliked this toilet and they felt using urine as fertilizer was unnecessary. One of the key lessons drawn from the study is that schools, in collaboration with local governments, should employ participatory approaches to understanding and engaging local stakeholders, including teachers, to minimize negative perceptions prior to the application of human urine as fertilizer in the school garden.

Sanitation Sustainability Index: A Pilot Approach to Develop a Community-Based Indicator for Evaluating Sustainability of Sanitation Systems

Evaluating the sustainability of sanitation systems is essential in achieving the sixth sustainable development goal. However, there are only limited number of available evaluation indexes, which are utilized to macroscopically determine a community’s sanitation coverage. Consequently, an index is required, which can evaluate different sanitation options for a specific community. In this paper, the sanitation sustainability index (SSI) is suggested as an indicator for evaluating the sustainability of sanitation systems. The SSI has sub-indexes that consider the technical, social, and economic aspects of the sanitation system, and all the variables are dimensionless and heavily dependent on the current state of the community where the sanitation system is going to be implemented. The applicability of the SSI was demonstrated by evaluating the implementation of two onsite sanitation systems, including one septic tank system and one resource-oriented sanitation (ROS) system in South Korea. A sensitivity analysis defined the variables that have significant impact, and the statistical distribution of the SSI for both systems was forecasted. The results showed that for South Korea, which has a profound history of utilizing human waste as fertilizer, utilizing the resource-oriented sanitation system is more sustainable, although it has a lower social sub-index score compared to the septic tank system.

SOSTAUGA project: reduction of water consumption and evaluation of potential uses for endogenous resources

PurposeThe University of A Coruña (UDC) elaborated the SOSTAUGA project, aiming to reach a higher sustainable level of its water management. SOSTAUGA defined four priority points of action: the restoration of the natural courses on the campus; the adoption of an ecological sanitation model; the sustainable management of urban runoff; and the reduction of water consumption in university facilities and activities. This paper aims to present the methodology, the actions and the results related to the reduction of water consumption and the potential for the use of endogenous resources.Design/methodology/approachThe agents involved were the senior management of the centres, the committees of the Green Campus, the scholarship students and the Office for the Environment. Several actions have been experienced: audit of water consumption in sanitary services; flow reduction in washbasin taps by means of valve adjustment (and repair of the valves when necessary); replacement of tap aerators with other more eco-efficient ones; replacement of faucets; introduction of dual-flush (DF) in cisterns; and information to users (eco-label).FindingsWater audit reached 68% of the total number of washbasins and tanks in the UDC. Efficient aerator installation covered 16% of taps and valve adjustment covered the further 33.5% and provided flow reduction of 42%. Another 20% of valve units required repair. The current situation in toilets combines tankless flush valves and cisterns with single flush mechanisms. The introduction of DF mechanisms was assessed and proposed. The cost of these actions was very low, as evidenced by the investment return period while showing a high potential for user awareness.Originality/valueBoth from the environmental (water saving) and from the economic and social points of view, this study shows that similar projects aimed at the efficient and rational use of water are applicable to the universities and other public and private schools, with potentially positive results on sustainability and people awareness.

The 1944 Water Treaty and the Incorporation of Environmental Values in U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Water Governance

The 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty remains the single most important bilateral agreement on water resources between the two countries. The “Treaty” has not only been durable but has proven to be applicable to environmental challenges not foreseen by its drafters, a function of both its context, treaty design, and recent diplomacy. Its recent extension and further application to binational watershed ecology is affected by its intersection with other binational agreements affecting wildlife and ecological resources and sanitation. This paper examines the application of the 1944 Treaty to the environmental functions of U.S.-Mexico rivers and its relationship with other shared environmental agreements for their potential to strengthen binational environmental management of these transboundary watercourses.

Governing the circular economy: Assessing the capacity to implement resource-oriented sanitation and waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries

Transitioning to a circular economy requires strategic investments in infrastructure, but it also requires policy coherence, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders across sectors and governance levels. In this paper, we aimed to identify the factors that facilitate or impede governance capacity to adopt circularity in the form of resource recovery from urban organic waste streams. We conducted a literature review and semi-structured interviews using the ‘Governance Capacity Framework’ in a case study of Naivasha, Kenya. Our findings emphasize the importance of leadership from the public sector in co-developing visionary strategies for circularity and using their convening power to facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration. Moreover, we identify a need for bridging theoretical circular economy concepts to initiatives in local communities of practice. The insights in this paper are relevant for advancing the understanding of challenges for governance of the circular economy especially in low-and middle-income country contexts.

Application of human excreta on the farms as an effective option to the uptake and replication of ecological sanitation (Ecosan) in Burera District, Rwanda

The ecological sanitation (Ecosan) technology continues to be challenged by diverse factors including exposure of human excreta to the users in different geographical settings. The purpose of the study is to understand the linkage between the uptake of Ecosan technology and theapplication of human excreta on the farms among farmers in Burera district. A quantitative study was conducted to assess the linkage between the application of human excreta on the farms and the uptake of Ecosan technology among farmers of Burera District, Northern Province of Rwanda. By using a multistage sampling strategy, a sample of 361 household farmers was selected in the sectors of Rugarama, Gahunga and Cyanika in the District of Burera where the Ecosan technology has been mostly implemented at the household level Findings show that Ecological sanitation technology is favorable among females and 70% of females prefer to use it as sanitation facilities due to its privacy and design compared to the pitlatrine technology. In addition, the application of human excreta on the farm was high and 60% of farmers apply excreta on the farmers especially when there is a time of emptying excreta from their sanitation technologies. However, only 3% of the users of Ecosan technology apply also human excreta as Ecosan products on their farms. This implies that there is a need to scale up the Ecosan technology in the community of Burera district to optimize the proper use of human excreta. The high uptake of Ecosan technology will evolve the implementation strategies such as community education, the supply of Ecosan materials in the community and the construction of Ecosan technology. This will boost sanitation coverage and increase crop production in Burera district by taking into account the community health as well as the environmental aspect

Socio Economic Aspects of Lowland Bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica )

Bamboo Plays a vital role in environmental amelioration, biodiversity preservation, and soil conservation and protects other plants from frost, wind and water erosion and itself from freely moving speedy winds and frost. It also contributes to flood management, wastage disposal, waste purification and ecological sanitation as well as recharging groundwater. Bamboo sequesters up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare and it release 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees. Despite the large area coverage, economic, social and conservation significance of bamboo in Ethiopia, information about production, utilization and its use as forage for livestock is limited. Therefore, the present review was conducted with the objectives of generating holistic information socio-economic aspects of the indigenous low land bamboo species. The primary use of raw bamboo material is for housing, fencing, household equipment’s and amenities. The majority of rural families are entirely dependent on raw bamboo for household furniture and as a source of domestic energy and Bamboo is the main material for the construction of house, animal sheds fences, fuel wood and beehives in Asossa Zone, Benshangul-Gumuz Region. In addition, for Jeblawi people of Mandura district in this Region, the shoots of bamboo are very important for their delicious nutritional food sources. Keywords: socio economic, oxytenanthera abyssinica DOI: 10.7176/JPID/54-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Ecological Sanitation and Sustainable Nutrient Recovery Education: Considering the Three Fixes for Environmental Problem-Solving

In the context of phosphorus as a finite resource and the unsustainable character of current sanitation in Europe, this paper examined social factors in a technological transition towards sustainable sanitation. The evaluation is based on the idea of cognitive, structural, and technological fixes to achieve environmental protection. The cognitive fix has been evaluated through literature and a European-wide survey with universities that offer civil and environmental engineering programs. Contrary to an initial hypothesis, ecological sanitation and nutrient recycling are taught by the majority (66%) of responding programs. There are, however, local differences in terms of context and detail of the education. The main impediments for teaching were identified as academic resources (especially in Belgium, Germany and Denmark) and the technological status quo (Ireland, Italy, Spain and some programs of the United Kingdom). Instructors’ personal commitment and experience was evaluated to be a key factor for an extensive coverage of sustainable sanitation in higher education programs. The role of higher education has a critical role to play in changing sanitation practices, given the unique professional developmental stage of students and the potential for a cognitive fix to contribute to meaningful change.

Challenges and Potentials of Ecological Sanitation: Experiences from the Cases in Vietnam and Malawi

Challenges and Potentials of Ecological Sanitation: Experiences from the Cases in Vietnam and Malawi

Economic analysis and probability of benefit of implementing onsite septic tank and resource-oriented sanitation systems in Seoul, South Korea

Abstract Most sanitation provisions cater to toilet infrastructures alone. Little consideration is given to requirements before and after toilets, such as the availability of water supply along with safe and sustainable methods for the disposal, treatment, and recycling of sanitary wastes after the toilet. Implementing communal onsite sanitation practices can be more feasible for societies suffering from a lack of adequate sanitation systems. This study presents a lifetime cost analysis of two onsite sanitation systems, one septic tank, and one resource-oriented sanitation (ROS) system. Both systems are considered to be implemented in a suburban area of Seoul to offer public hygiene services. The lifetime cost and probability of benefit were evaluated based on the capital, operation, maintenance, and disposal costs for one year. Results show that although the septic tank sanitation system requires a lower initial capital cost, its annual operation and maintenance costs are higher than the ROS systems’. The economic analysis shows how ignoring pre-toilet and post-toilet infrastructure can mislead the decision-making process by resulting in a higher capital and maintenance cost for the ROS system. Accordingly, the sanitation system should be considered not only to be a toilet but also to contain the required pre-toilet and post-toilet steps.

Return to learn: recommendations from revisited rural ecosan projects in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has extensive experience with urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) and the reuse of human excreta in agriculture in line with the ecological sanitation (ecosan) principles of containment, treatment, and reuse. Around 30 such ecosan projects have been implemented over the past 15 years, including installation of approximately 13,500 household UDDTs, accompanied by awareness-building and training on toilet use, emptying, and reuse. Recently, efforts have been made to revisit former and current project sites in the spirit of ‘return to learn’. We identified four such learning initiatives (studies/events), from which we draw recommendations to improve the sustainability of future implementation of ecosan in Burkina Faso and similar contexts. Key recommendations include increased attention to different user needs, handwashing and training on emptying/reuse as well as research and innovation on toilet design, urine collection/handling, menstrual management, and cost reduction/financing. Burkina Faso has set up the ambitious goal of 100 per cent toilet coverage and optimal reuse in the national sanitation programme by 2030, with UDDTs projected to make up 15 per cent of the 2 million toilets needed in rural areas. It is therefore timely to take stock and learn from past interventions. In addition, to enable resource recovery and reuse at scale, it will be important to develop a supportive policy and legal framework with collaboration between the WASH, agriculture, health, and environmental sectors.

Evaluation of different natural additives effects on the composting process of source separated feces in resource-oriented sanitation systems

In most resource-oriented sanitation (ROS) systems, the composting process has been a sustainable treatment method for source separated feces. Nonetheless, a slow and low degradation efficiency—combined with hygienic concerns, especially for the high amount of waste produced —makes the selection of the composting bulk additives a critical decision for the process. This study presents the efficiency improvement of adding different natural additives to enhance the composting process of the source separated feces in ROS systems. Three different natural additives, including sawdust, rice husk, and rice husk charcoal were utilized for the composting process of fresh feces with an additive w/w ratio of 2:1. To evaluate the impact of additives on compost properties, chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of composting materials were measured. Results indicated that using rice husk charcoal as an additive of the process was effective and generated a degradation of more than 40% of total organic carbon (TOC), reduced the nitrogen loss to less than 0.2%, and improved the germination index (GI) to more than 80%. Moreover, in terms of fecal indicators, the Escherichia coli (E. coli) stains were totally removed after five weeks. The efficacy of utilizing rice husk charcoal as a composting matrix in resource oriented sanitation systems can be, therefore, demonstrated as a nature-based treatment for source separated feces.

Diverting toilet systems - quality of collected urine mixture compared to other organic fertilizers

Storstrnm County and A & B Backlund ApS are cooperating in four wastewater projectsrunning since 1998 concerning source control, diverting toilet technology and analysis ofcollected human urine mixture and composted human faeces. Results from one of the projectsare presented in this paper. A & B Backlund ApS is working with further four national andinternational projects and are planning for further projects. The projects are carried out in anAction Plan administrated by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). DanishEPA is not responsibel for the conclusions or expressed views in the reports.The collected user experiences in the Danish projects show that the diverting technology areaccepted in a housing area, is running very well in a public place and are even highlyappreciated in allotment gardens (even if further technical improvement should be made).This paper presents contents of nutrients, heavy metals, organic compounds andmicroorganisms found in urine mixture compared to findings in organic fertilizers used indanish agriculture. The analysed urine mixture was of high quality.No-mixing toilets, diverting toilets, separation toilets, composting toilets, biological toilets,waterless urinals, wastewater treatment, ecological engineering, ecological sanitation, humanurine, human faeces, nutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, compost, sludge, manure,anaerobicly processed biomass

Willow evapotranspiration beds without discharge for handling of household wastewater & biomass short rotation willow coppice fertilised with nutrient from human urine mixture

Storstmm County and A & B Backlund ApS have been co-operating in a project collectingexperiences and making investigations regarding the oldest evapotranspiration bed withoutoutlet in Denmark situated in Storstmm County. Results from the project Danish EPA M226-0025 "EXPERIENCES AND EXAMINATIONS FROM A EVAPOTRANSTIRATION BEDWITHOUT DISCHARGE AT TAPPERN0JE" are presented in this paper. The bed hasworked very stable since 1992. A water balance has been calculated estimating theevapotranspiration of the bed. Contents of nutrients in the wastewater and nutrients, heavymetal and organic compounds in the soil have been analysed. Steam production of thewillows has been estimated. A & B Backlund ApS is engaged in further development of thesystems.A small part ofan international project FAIR5-CT97-3947 (1998-2002) "BIOMASS SHORTROTATION WILLOW COPPICE FERTILISED WITH NUTRIENT FROM MUNICIPALWASTEWATER (BWCW) is dedicated fertilising willows with human urine mixtures. Theexperiences has up to now been very positive and efforts are made to prolong the project andestablish further demonstration projects.Willow evapotranspiration beds, willow vegetation filter, wastewater treatment, human urinefertiliser, no-mixing toilets, diverting toilets, separation toilets, ecological engineering,ecological sanitation

How does greywater separation impact the operation of conventional wastewater treatment plants?

Source separation has thus far been addressed mainly within the context of decentralization in new development areas; centralized approaches for resource-oriented sanitation remained, however, largely disregarded. By means of inhabitant-specific load and volume flow balances, based on typical reference values for municipal wastewater in Germany, a stepwise transition towards on-site greywater recycling was investigated for a model wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Up to 17% transition (separation of greywater from 17% of the total inhabitants), greywater separation was proven to benefit plant operation by reducing energy consumption for aeration. From 17% transition onwards, however, unfavorable carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N) were reported, as less biodegradable carbon reaches denitrification, thus shifting C/N ratios negatively. Therefore, nitrogen recovery/removal from N-rich sludge sidestreams would be required. At 35% transition, a 50% N recovery from sludge liquor was proven to be sufficient in order to ensure full denitrification; combined with greywater separation, nutrient recovery yielded 14% reduction in power demand for aeration (on the actual state). Additionally, extensive mainstream process changeovers could be avoided by separating N-rich urine alongside greywater from the main wastewater stream. Urine separation was proven to maintain denitrification stability as well as reduce power demand for aeration. The calculations show that, under consideration of specific boundary conditions, existing WWTP can be successfully integrated in transition concepts for resource-oriented sanitation.

Greenhouse gas fluxes from human waste management pathways in Haiti

The lack of safely managed sanitation services is a major global public health and ecological sustainability challenge. Ecological sanitation (EcoSan) technologies designed to close the “poop loop” through the capture, treatment, and beneficial reuse of human feces can meet this interconnected challenge. EcoSan has the potential to mitigate climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet the climate impacts of EcoSan are poorly understood. We measured GHG emissions (carbon dioxide, CO2; methane, CH4; and nitrous oxide, N2O) from two EcoSan operations in Haiti, as well as two anaerobic waste stabilization ponds and a grass field where sewage is known to be illegally deposited. Carbon dioxide was the major constituent of total GHG emissions from both EcoSan systems. Nitrous oxide emissions were similar across both EcoSan systems, however CH4 emissions were significantly higher in the system with moister pile conditions. Highest CH4 fluxes were observed during the first two months of composting in both EcoSan systems. In a paired-comparison, we found that piles with a soil lining had four-fold lower CH4 emissions and three-fold lower N2O emissions compared to piles with a cement lining. Overall climate-forcing effects of emissions from EcoSan were favorable relative to waste stabilization ponds and unmanaged disposal on grass fields. In contrast to EcoSan, CH4 emissions dominated net emissions from waste stabilization ponds, accounting for 94% of net emissions, and N2O emissions were negligible. Methane emissions from waste stabilization ponds were up to 250 times higher than those from EcoSan compost piles. The grass field had a significantly higher CH4 flux than EcoSan, and the highest N2O flux rate observed. Our data suggest that EcoSan systems can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing GHG emissions relative to alternative sanitation pathways, and EcoSan management conditions can be optimized to minimize emissions.

Implementing sustainable sanitation in an integrated model – A straightforward approach for long-term simulation

At present, increasing requirements for both the efficiency and environmental sustainability of resources demand more knowledge about the feasibility of the implementation of innovative technologies both in a large-scale as well as in the long run. Even at modified sewage flows and characterizations, water infrastructures must always remain reliable to guarantee sustainable urban water management. Dimensioning methods and assessment variables must be adapted to achieve more flexible systems in the long-term. This paper aims to assess the actual impact of the implementation of New Alternative Sanitation Systems (NASS) as well as stormwater decentralization measures in an existing sewage disposal system with means of a dynamic simulation within a 50-year time interval in 10 years steps. Two scenario simulations showed that the implementation of the module for blackwater and greywater separation with an assumed pollutant fractionation represents the investigated sustainable sanitation measures reliably. Results showed a decrease in the overflow discharge loads and duration of the control stormwater infrastructures. The WWTP showed a successful chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen elimination (TN) in all cases. Nonetheless, operational flexibility is fundamental in order to cope with the more unfavorable COD:TN ratios of the WWTP inflow after full implementation of NASS. To sum up, implementing this simplified approach for a stepwise implementation of resource-oriented sanitation technologies allows a dynamic integrated system evaluation not only for dry weather conditions but also for stormwater conditions.

Sustainable Sanitation Management Tool for Decision Making in Isolated Areas in Brazil.

There is a worldwide range of technical sanitation guidelines focusing on small or traditional and isolated communities for ecological alternatives at the household level. However, a computational tool (software) that has a database and connects these guidelines in a single reference for resource-oriented sanitation concept decision making is still lacking. In this regard, an easy-to-use tool was developed using a participatory approach for the decision-making process from a choice of technical solutions to a type of system management. The results obtained from a pilot study indicate that the proposed tool in this paper will help with the decision-making process to aid in not only choosing sustainable sanitation solutions, but also sustainable operation and maintenance options for the systems. When presenting and discussing the tool with research groups and technicians, the potential for participatory application was noticed. The proposed tool can be used in the elaboration of municipal sanitation plans, assisting local technicians and environmental licensing agencies, designers and engineering students, among others. The software can be applied with other management tools, such as 5W2H and Canvas business model.