Toilet chemical additives and their effect on faecal sludge characteristics

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of two mostly improvised chemical additives, calcium carbide and lambda super 2.5 EC (LSEC), on the physico–chemical and microbial characteristics of faecal sludge from toilets. The quality of faecal sludge was assessed before and after application of the chemical additives in an experimental setup of ten different treatment units including a control, and treatment replicates. The initial characteristic of the faecal sludge was slightly acidic with high content of slowly degradable organic matter. The experimental control without additives after 30 days showed reduction in BOD 5 , COD, helminth eggs and sludge mass by a maximum of 30%, 34.7%, 99.8% and 55% respectively. Similarly, calcium carbide additive reduced the BOD 5 , COD, helminth eggs and the mass of the faecal sludge by 47.4%, 48.3%, 99.6% and 61% respectively. Also, LSEC additive reduced BOD 5 , COD, helminth eggs and the mass of the sludge by 40.6%, 47.9%, 95.9% and 58% respectively. The two additives showed significant treatment effect on the faecal sludge although the level of treatment could not meet the regulatory discharge limits for the key quality parameters assessed including sanitisation. The study is still a grey area and more research is recommended to enrich the findings.

Using Isotopic and Hydrochemical Indicators to Identify Sources of Sulfate in Karst Groundwater of the Niangziguan Spring Field, China

“…The chemical composition of karst water is controlled by factors such as geological conditions, hydrodynamic conditions, and human engineering activities in the region, and it can better preserve such influence information [50][51][52][53][54]. Therefore, hydrogeologists often use hydrogeochemical methods to study complex karst water systems [55][56][57][58].…”