Developing an Infrastructure Intervention for Solid Waste Exclusion in Pit Latrine Faecal Sludge

Author:

Banda Rabson,Kabika Joel

Abstract

Pit latrine emptying is an important maintenance practice meant to increase a toilet's lifespan. However, the presence of solid waste in faecal sludge pose a great challenge during pit emptying, faecal sludge treatment and processing. Recent studies have demonstrated that solid wastes cause pits to fill up at a faster rate, destruct faecal sludge decomposition, and cause damage to emptying devices by blocking machine parts, and in some cases breaking them. When such occurs, emptying devices are usually withdrawn to manually remove the trapped debris, causing a loss of valuable time and reductions in daily revenue. One way of averting the adverse effects of solid wastes in pit latrines is by preventing them from mixing with faecal sludge in the pit. Therefore, the study aimed to design, develop and test an infrastructure intervention that would exclude solid waste from pit latrine faecal sludge. The study used a quantitative approach in which experimental methods were used to collect primary data. The methodology included the design, fabrication, and installation of a solid waste screening unit on a pit latrine. The screening unit was positioned directly below the squat hole to intercept solid waste while allowing excreta to pass through it. The unit was tested on a pit latrine that was used by 20 individuals over a period of 120 days, after which mass measurements of the intercepted solid wastes were done. The data obtained was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2016 version. It was found that the screening unit was capable of intercepting 88.2±0.6 % of the solid waste that entered the toilet through the squat hole. This confirmed that although behavioral, and education interventions have been conducted, there was little change in behavior towards the dumping of solid wastes in pit latrines. The study also showed that installing solid waste screening systems in future pit latrines can be one way of preventing solid wastes from mixing with pit latrine faecal sludge. These findings suggest that incorporating solid waste screening systems into future pit latrines could effectively prevent solid waste from mixing with faecal sludge. This intervention promises to complement existing behavioral and educational interventions prevalent in many developing countries. The study's application and findings promise improvements in faecal sludge management during pit emptying, treatment, and processing, thereby enhancing public health outcomes.

Publisher

International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

Cited by 1 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. A Review on Currency Classification and Image to Text Conversion Methodologies;International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT);2024-04-17

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3