Containment: Pathogens cannot survive for long, once they have left the human host. They have co-evolved over thousands of years with the human race and can thrive only within the narrow chemical and environmental parameters of the human body. Containing the excreta for an extended period of time brings about the death of pathogens and… Continue Reading
Properly installed and maintained, composting toilet systems will contain, immobilize, and/or destroy pathogens — organisms that cause human disease. Still, when planning composting toilet systems, pathogens and vectors (flies and crawling insects) need to be considered. This is a particular concern in areas with endemic diseases, such as warm regions, where pathogens flourish.
A batch composting toilet system utilizes two or more interchangeable or movable bins. One is filled at a time and then turned aside allowed to cure while another bin fills — just as with twin-bin and triple-bin yard composters. By not continually adding fresh excrement and urine to older, more advanced material, the material decomposes… Continue Reading
A composting toilet system (sometimes called a biological toilet, dry toilet, or waterless toilet) contains and controls the composting of excrement, toilet paper, carbon additive, and, optionally, food wastes. Unlike a septic system, a composting toilet system relies on unsaturated conditions (material cannot be fully immersed in liquid), where aerobic bacteria and fungi break down… Continue Reading
Composting is the controlled aerobic (atmospheric oxygen-using) biological decomposition of moist organic solid matter to produce a soil conditioner. Because it requires molecular oxygen, it cannot be immersed in water (saturated). The emphasis is on “controlled.” This sets it apart from the uncontrolled decomposition that occurs in the natural environment. A leaf falls from a… Continue Reading
