Full-scale pyrolysis of faecal sludge is a credible technology for the safe removal of pathogens and the concurrent creation of biochar, which has been shown to enhance crop productivity. Faecal sludge biochar has the potential to improve acidic, low...
10 June 2020
Most people in rural areas in South Africa (SA) rely on untreated drinking groundwater sources and pit latrine sanitations. A minimum basic sanitation facility should enable safe and appropriate removal of human waste, and although pit latrines provi...
Currently, in sub-Saharan African countries, 65 to 100% of the urban population is served by on-site sanitation systems, typically pit latrines and septic tanks. Faecal sludge dewatering in drying beds is one of the most commonly adopted low-cost tre...
Nature-based systems predominantly treat faecal sludge in developing regions due to their cost-effectiveness and operational simplicity. These systems, including solid–liquid separation, anaerobic digestion, dewatering, phytofiltration, and com...
The majority of residents in low- and middle-income countries are served by onsite sanitation. Equitable access to sanitation, including emptying, collection, and transport services for the accumulation of faecal sludge remains a major challenge. Com...
This study optimized the organic matter solubilization of faecal sludge (FS). FS was treated in a microwave oven at varying microwave power and treatment times. Changes in total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD),...
While mechanical dewatering is widely used in faecal sludge treatment, the agricultural potential of mechanically dewatered faecal sludge (MDFS) combined with anaerobic digestion (AD) remains underexplored, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where nu...
25 August 2022
This study investigated the effect of locally available bulking agents on the faecal sludge (FS) composting process and quality of the final FS compost. Dewatered FS was mixed with sawdust, coffee husk and brewery waste, and composted on a pilot scal...
29 October 2015
In this research, three faecal sludge sanitizing methods—lactic acid fermentation, urea treatment and lime treatment—were studied for application in emergency situations. These methods were investigated by undertaking small scale field trials with pi...
The use of faecal sludge (FS) in anaerobic digestion (AD) requires a perfect knowledge of their composition. Considered as a very heterogeneous material, the high variability of FS can disturb biodigesters’ functionality and impact biogas produ...
Full-scale pyrolysis of faecal sludge in developing nations is an emerging technology for the complete removal of pathogens and the concurrent creation of biochar, a soil amendment shown to enhance crop productivity. Currently there is little informa...
9 March 2021
In Khulna, Bangladesh, mechanical faecal sludge (FS) emptying and transport (E&T) service is provided by community development committees (CDCs) and the Khulna City Corporation (KCC). Without considering capital expenditure and depreciation, fina...
Faecal sludge reuse could promote responsible waste management and alleviate resource shortages. However, for this reuse to be carried out at scale, it needs to be financially viable. This paper reviews the financial values of resource recovery from...
Although faecal sludge (FS) co-compost contains vital nutrients, there are several barriers limiting adoption and reuse of FS co-compost in agriculture. This study in Bhubaneswar found that health risk and bad odour were the two topmost negative perc...
The disposal of human faecal sludge (FS) is one of the biggest environmental problems. It can be solved by using FS as an agricultural fertilizer. However, this is hampered by the presence of pathogenic microflora and high organic matter content in F...
28 March 2019
Re-using faecal sludge (FS) to generate value has the potential to contribute towards solving the issue of long term sanitation solutions in growing urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa; however, hitherto, no design tools have been available that ar...
There is a great potential to close the nutrient recycling loop, support a ‘circular economy’ and improve cost recovery within the waste sector and to create viable businesses via the conversion of waste to organic fertilizers. Successful commerciali...
The mechanical properties of faecal sludge (FS) influence its moisture retention characteristics to a greater extent than other properties. A comprehensive fundamental characterisation of the mechanical properties is scarcely discussed in the literat...
11 June 2018
Faecal indicator bacteria of faecal coliform, Salmonella spp., and faecal Streptococcus are present at high levels in faecal sludge and affect human health. Mesophilic anaerobic digestion cannot reduce faecal indicator bacteria to meet the standards...
Faecal sludge management (FSM) in most developing countries is still insufficient. Sanitation challenges within the sub-Saharan region have led to recurring epidemics of water- and sanitation-related diseases. The use of pit latrines has been recogni...
The current paper provides a review and meta-analysis of the practical implications of disaster risk management related to the ventilated improved latrines in South Africa. This technology is evaluated through its legacy and novel challenges of disas...
The study was to assess the: (i) effect of human urine and other organic inputs on cabbage growth, yield, nutrient uptake, N-use efficiency, and soil chemical characteristics; (ii) economic returns of the use of urine and/or other organic inputs as a...
Containment, safe handling and disinfection of human excreta in cholera treatment centers (CTC) are key to preventing the onward spread of the disease. This study compared the efficacy of three chlorine-based approaches at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%,...
In this paper, an expedited multi-criteria decision analysis framework, capable of tackling several dimensions for the choice of sanitation services, at an early planning stage is presented. The approach combines geographic information systems aided...
Sanitation workers provide an essential public service that is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), but often costs them their dignity and health. Many governments in low- and middle-income countries fail to support their sanitat...
When soils are phosphorus (P) deficient, external sources in the form of fertilisers have to be applied to increase crop yields. The world depends on mined sources for P fertilisers, and recent reports indicate that an increase in the human populatio...
The utilisation of micro-scale thermal treatment technologies for non-sewered applications has been emerging as a prominent route for the safe treatment and disposal of high water content hazardous feedstock. This study provides a comprehensive revie...
Local government partnerships for producing services are ubiquitous in many countries. However, the approach has rarely been applied in India—likely owing to a history of centralized planning and independent urban and rural governance systems....
Resource recovery through reuse of by-products of the sanitation chain presents a great potential towards ensuring universal access to safely managed sanitation. Many developing countries are faced with uncertainty over public and environmental healt...
This study aimed to treat sewage sludge through microwave irradiation at a laboratory scale. The objective was to investigate the effect of microwave irradiation on microorganisms, water content, organic matter, and agronomic nutrients present in sew...
Spreading sewage sludge from municipal wastewater (MWW) treatment on land is still a common practice in developing countries. However, it is well known that sewage sludge without special treatment contains various pollutants, which are (re)introduced...
The removal of heavy metals from effluents at source could reduce contamination of soil and water bodies. A batch sorption experiment was performed to determine the effects of feedstock of biochars pyrolysed at increasing temperature on sorption capa...
Developing countries are confronted with general issues of municipal wastewater management and treatment. Untreated wastewater and faecal sludge from septic tanks and traditional toilets are often discharged into rivers and used for urban agriculture...
23 January 2018
Public health benefits are often a key political driver of urban sanitation investment in developing countries, however, pathogen flows are rarely taken systematically into account in sanitation investment choices. While several tools and approaches...
Stabilised organic solids derived from sewage sludge (“biosolids”) are applied to land as an alternative to disposal as landfill. This study evaluated the long-term effects of biosolids applied to forestry plantations on the adjacent inte...
Co-composted dewatered faecal sludge (FS) with organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) has a high potential to be used as an agricultural resource in Sri Lanka. In addition to options for cost recovery in waste management, closing the nutrie...