Excreta Management Research Articles

HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF EXCRETA MANAGEMENT AT UDONTHANI MUNICIPALITY, THAILAND

ISEE-445 Introduction: Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process to identify, predict and evaluate the human health impact of a proposed policy, plan, program or project. The purpose of health impact assessment is to alert decision-makers to possible health impact that could be reduced. Aim: The aim of this paper was to assess the health impact of human excreta management at Udonthani Municipality (UM). Methods: The study involved a focus group discussion, interviews, questionnaires and a literature review to collect data from key informants and stakeholder that are involved in human excreta management (i.e. collection, transportation and disposal), in order to establish a scoping framework, to identify and evaluate impacts on health, including physical, mental and social health. Results: The results showed that UM had 1 vehicle with vacuum pumps and rented 15 vehicles with vacuum pumps, from the regulated private sector. Most negative health impacts were evident in nightsoil collectors – where there were accidental injuries caused by lack of personal protective equipment usage and carelessness. The inhabitants of UM approved of the work carried out to the regulated private sector for the excreta collection, because this put in place an efficient service which could serve as competition for the excreta collection service provided by the municipality. Discussion: The treatment and processing of excreta had the highest impact on people who lived nearby, especially with regard to waste water contamination that happened in the rainy season, and the noxious smell evident in winter season, in the evenings. In addition, some collectors did not transfer the nightsoil to the treatment plant when this was required, thus spreading pathogens to the environment. This paper includes the recommendations made for enhancing positive and reducing negative impacts of human excreta management.

Vision for utilization of livestock residue as bioenergy resource in Japan

Utilization of livestock residue is important not only for energy recovery and material recycling but also for preventing environmental pollution. This paper focuses on the following options from the viewpoint of the Law on Promoting Proper Management and Use of Livestock Excreta and the Kyoto protocol: energy use from livestock residue, reductions in CO2 emissions resulting from substitution of fossil fuels, and reduction of other greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate treatment of livestock residue. Bioenergy potential of livestock residue in Japan was estimated to be 167 PJ in the year 2000. This is equivalent to about 0.7% of total primary energy supply. Biogas production with methane fermentation and burning poultry residue at power plants can produce 4.1 TWh of electricity and 46 PJ of heat. The amount of CO2 substitution for fossil fuels is 6.9 Mt-CO2. This corresponds to about 0.6% of total CO2 emissions in 1990. This also has an additional effect of reducing other greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) emissions from conventional treatment of livestock residue. Development of biogas plants, promotion of biogas utilization, and effective use of fertilizer components extracted from livestock residue are expected to gain importance in the future.

An assessment of the effect of human faeces and urine on maize production and water productivity

The key challenge facing many catchment authorities in Zimbabwe and elsewhere is the challenge of feeding the growing populations within their catchment boundaries. Modern agricultural practices continue to mine valuable crop nutrients through increased food production to satisfy ever-increasing food demand. In recent diagnostic survey of smallholder agricultural sector in the Manyame catchments of Zimbabwe it was revealed that exhausted soils depleted of their natural mineral and organic constituents by many years of cropping with little fertilization or manuring were the major factors contributing to low yields and poor food security in this sector in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of using sanitized human excreta on maize production and water productivity. The study involved six volunteer farmers with four 10 m × 10 m trial plots each with the following treatments the control, commercial fertilizer treatment urine only plot, and the feacal matter and urine plot. Harvest determination was carried by weighing the yield from each of the treatment plots and comparisons done. Water productivity was computed by calculating the amount of water used to produce a tone of maize per ha. The study showed that human excreta improves maize crop production and water productivity in rain-fed agriculture. The study recommends that the ecological sanitation concept and the reuse of human excreta both humanure and (ecofert) urine can be considered as alternative excreta management options in catchment areas.

A systematic overview of urban agriculture in developing countries from an environmental point of view

Urban agriculture can contribute to food security and poverty alleviation in developing countries. It can also help to improve public health and resource management by reusing excreta, wastewater and organic solid waste. This paper presents a systematic overview of urban agriculture in low and middle-income countries and identifies research needs. The crosscutting issues, especially between urban agriculture and environmental sanitation, which is defined as excreta, wastewater and solid waste management, are of key importance. Quantification of the benefits, risks, opportunities and constraints of urban agriculture is essential from a resource and waste management point of view. The role of urban agriculture with regard to water and organic material flows in regions has to be investigated. Research is also needed to quantify the impact of reusing excreta, wastewater and organic solid waste on food quality and the environment.

Philosophical, ecological and technical challenges for expanding ecological sanitation into urban areas

Ecological sanitation seems often to be taken to mean no more than an alternative toilet, whereas it should be understood more broadly as embodying a closed-loop approach to the management of human excreta. In the next 25 years the urban population of Africa and Asia is expected to double. By facilitating the revival of urban agriculture and avoiding the adverse environmental impacts of conventional treatment strategies, ecological sanitation can play a major role in providing food security and public health in a sustainable future.

Management of human excreta.

In China human excreta has been applied as an organic fertilizer to farmlands because of its high fertilizing efficiency and the substantial quantity available. Agricultural production at the time of liberation was based primarily on small scale farming by individual households. Each household had a private vat for storing its own excreta for use as fertilizer. Water sources were heavily contaminated by excreta leading to continuing transmission of parasitic and infectious enteric diseases. The prevalence of schistosomiasis in endemic areas was about 26% reaching a maximum of over 60% in 1 commune. The average rate of hookworm infection was 36.5% in 1956 and the mortality rate of infectious enteric diseases was 13.7/100000 in 1960. Thus proper management of excreta was a measure of critical importance in reducing disease and raising the populations health level. The 1st step taken in 1953 recommended that all excreta vats in schistosomiasis endemic areas be moved away from river banks to prevent the contamination of water sources. Additional developments in 1956 were the institution of small scale centralized management of excreta vats and the ban against washing of night commodes and related tools in rivers. At that time 83.6% of the 71888 private excreta vats in schistosomiasis endemic areas were brought under centralized management. To kill parasite ova and eliminate schistosomiasis initial efforts were directed toward the grouped excreta vats. A small shed was built over each group of vats and each vat was equipped with an airtight cover. This allowed the sealing of the vats to permit storage of the excreta under anaerobic conditions. In 1964 special tanks were developed to allow fermentation of the excrement and sedimentation of parasite eggs. These fermentation and settling tanks have been found to be a practical way of treating excreta and replaced the small scale groupings of vats and sealed storage treatment. During the 1964-1980 period 2545 fermentation settling tanks were constructed. Study results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the tanks. Recently biogas generators have been developed which provide for the production of biogas and allow fermentation and sedimentation. All measures taken in excreta management over the past 25 years have had a role in controlling and eliminating enteric parasitic and infectious diseases.

Assessment of Drinking Water of Bhaktapur Municipality Area in Pre-Monsoon Season

The physico-chemical and microbiological analyses of the 116 water samples from four different sources namely, public tap, well, tube well and stone spout of Bhaktapur Municipality area were done following standard techniques for water sample collection and analyses set by the American Public Health Association (1998). The pH values of all water samples were found to lie within Nepal standard. Similarly 57(49.14%), 9 (7.76%), 56 (48.28%) and 1(0.87%) of water samples were found to exceed Nepal standard value for conductivity, turbidity, iron and chloride content respectively. Hardness content of all water samples were within the standard whereas 6 (5.17%) samples crossed ammonia permissible level. The nitrate and arsenic content of all samples were found within permissible level. The bacteriological analysis of water samples revealed the presence of total coliform in 96 (82.76%) of samples. So, the study has pointed out that the drinking water quality of city water supply has not been improved and traditional sources like stone spouts and tube well water are also not free from contamination. Such circumstances are responsible for spreading water borne outbreaks. The waterborne diseases are closely related with the conditions of living and environmental sanitation in the community. So, it can be effectively controlled by appropriate water management and safe disposal of excreta. Key words: Arsenic; Coliform bacteria; Diseases; Iron and water quality. DOI: 10.3126/sw.v6i6.2642 Scientific World, Vol. 6, No. 6, July 2008 94-98