Sanitation Products

Products

Products are materials that are also called ‘wastes’ or ‘resources’. Some Products are generated directly by humans (e.g. urine and faeces), others are required in the functioning of Technologies (e.g. flush water to move excreta through sewers) and some are generated as a function or storage or treatment (e.g. faecal sludge).

For the design of a robust sanitation system, it is necessary to define all of the Products that are flowing into (Inputs) and out (Outputs) of each of the sanitation Technologies in the system. The Products referenced within this text are described below.

Urine

Urine is the liquid waste produced by the body to rid itself of urea and other waste Products. In this context, the urine Product refers to pure urine that is not mixed with faeces or water. Depending on diet, human urine collected during one year (ca. 500 L) contains 2–4 kg nitrogen. With the exception of some rare cases, urine is sterile when it leaves the body.

Faeces

Faeces refers to (semi-solid) excrement without urine or water. Each person produces approximately 50 L per year of faecal matter. Of the total nutrients excreted, faeces contain about 10% N, 30% P, 12% K and have 107–109 faecal coliforms /100 mL.

Anal cleansing water

Anal cleansing water is water collected after it has been used to cleanse oneself after defecating and/or urinating. It is only the water generated by the user for anal cleansing and does not include dry materials. The volume of water collected during anal cleansing ranges from 0.5 L to 3 L per cleaning.

Dry Cleansing Materials

Solid materials used to cleanse oneself after defecating and/or urinating (e.g., paper, leaves, corncobs, rags or stones). Depending on the system, Dry Cleansing Materials may be collected and separately disposed of. Although extremely important, a separate product name for menstrual hygiene products like sanitary napkins and tampons is not included in this Compendium. In general (though not always), they should be treated along with the solid waste generated in the household.

Stormwater

Stormwater is the general term for the rainfall runoff collected from roofs, roads and other surfaces before flowing towards low-lying land. It is the portion of rainfall that does not infiltrate into the soil.

Greywater

Greywater is the total volume of water generated from washing food, clothes and dishware as well as from bathing. It may contain traces of excreta and therefore will also contain pathogens and excreta. Greywater accounts for approximately 60% of the wastewater produced in households with flush toilets. It contains few pathogens and its flow of nitrogen is only 10–20% of that in blackwater.

Flushwater

Flushwater is the water that is used to transport excreta from the User Interface to the next technology. Freshwater, rainwater, recycled greywater, or any combination of the three can be used as a Flushwater source.

Organics

Organics refers here to biodegradable organic material that could also be called biomass or green organic waste. Although the other Products in this Compendium contain organics, this term refers to undigested plant material. Organics must be added to some technologies in order for them to function properly (e.g. composting chambers). Organic degradable material can include but is not limited to leaves, grass and market waste.

Dry cleansing material

Dry Cleansing Materials may be paper, corncobs, rags, stones and/or other dry materials that are used for anal cleansing (instead of water). Depending on the system, the dry cleansing materials may be collected and disposed of separately. Although extremely important, we have not included a separate Product name for menstral hygiene products like sanitary napkins and tampons. In general (though not always), they should be treated along with the Dry Cleansing Materials that are described here.

Blackwater

Blackwater is the mixture of urine, faeces and flushwater along with anal cleansing water (if anal cleansing is practiced) and/or dry cleansing material (e.g. toilet paper). Blackwater has all of the pathogens of faeces and all of the nutrients of urine, but diluted in flushwater.

Faecal Sludge

Faecal Sludge is the general term for the raw (or partially digested) slurry or solid that results from the storage of blackwater or excreta. The composition of faecal sludge varies significantly depending on the location, the water content, and the storage. For example, ammonium (NH4-N) can range from 300–3000 mg/L while Helminth eggs can reach up to 60,000 eggs/L. The composition will determine the type of treatment that is possible and the end-use possibilities.

Treated Sludge

Treated Sludge is the general term for partially digested or fully stabilized faecal sludge. The US Environmental Protection Agency has strict criteria to differentiate between degrees of treatment and consequently, how those different types of sludges can be used. ‘Treated Sludge’ is used in the System Templates and in the Technology Information Sheets as a general term to indicate that the sludge has undergone some level of treatment, although it should not be assumed that ‘treated sludge’ is fully treated or that it is automatically safe. It is meant to indicate that the sludge has undergone some degree of treatment and is no longer raw. It is the responsibility of the user to inquire about the composition, quality and therefore safety of the local sludge.

Excreta

Excreta consists of urine and faeces that is not mixed with any flushing water. Excreta is small in volume, but concentrated in nutrients and pathogens. Depending on the quality of the faeces it is solid, soft or runny.

Brownwater

Brownwater consists of faeces and flushwater (although in actual practice there is always some urine, as only 70–85% of the urine is diverted). Brownwater is generated by urine-diverting flush toilets and therefore, the volume depends on the volume of the flushwater used. The pathogen and nutrient load of faeces is not reduced, only diluted by the flushwater.

Dried faeces

Dried faeces are faeces that have been dehydrated at high temperatures (and high pH) until they become a dry, sanitized powder. Very little degradation occurs during dehydration and this means that the dried faeces are still rich in organic material. Faeces will reduce in volume by around 75%. There is a small risk that some organisms can be reactivated in the right environments.

Stored urine

Stored urine is urine that has been hydrolyzed naturally over time, i.e. the urea has been converted by enzymes into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Stored urine has a pH of approximately 9. After 6 months of storage, the risk of pathogen transmission is reduced considerably.

Effluent

Effluent is the general term for liquid that has undergone some level of treatment and/or separation from solids. It originates at either a Collection and Storage/Treatment or a (Semi-) Centralized Treatment Technology. Depending on the type of treatment, the effluent may be completely sanitized or may require further treatment before it can be used or disposed of.

Compost - EcoHumus

Compost/EcoHumus is the earth-like, brown/black material that is the result of decomposed organic matter. Generally Compost/EcoHumus has been hygienized sufficiently that it can be used safely in agriculture. Because of leaching, some of the nutrients are lost, but the material is still rich in nutrients and organic matter.

Biogas

Biogas is the common name for the mixture of gases released from anaerobic digestion. Typically biogas is comprised of methane (50–75%), carbon dioxide (25–50%) and varying quantities of nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, water and other components.

Forage

Forage refers to aquatic or other plants that grow in planted drying beds or constructed wetlands and may be harvested for feeding livestock.

References

• Elizabeth Tilley et.al (2008). Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies (low res version). Department of Water and Sanitation in Development Countries (Sandec) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag).