The rate of vermi-compost accumulation within ‘Tiger Toilets’ in India
File(s)
Author(s)
Hylton, E
Noad, L
Templeton, MR
Sule, MN
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Tiger Toilets use a worm-based ecosystem to degrade human waste and have recently been demonstrated as a cost-effective innovation in on-site sanitation. The benefits over traditional pit latrines include slower fill rate, fewer odours, and safer emptying. However, a question remains around how to measure the rate of accumulation of vermi-compost and predict the fill rate into the future. In this study, fifteen Tiger Toilets of varying installation ages in the villages of Jejuri, Bhalgudi and Walhe/Adachiwadi, in Maharashtra province, India were investigated to determine the rate of filling. A laser measure was used to define cross-sections of the depth to vermi-compost layers within the Tiger Toilet digesters. Bench-scale column tests were used to estimate liquid infiltration rates from the digesters into the surrounding soils. Changes over time in the interior digester conditions were photographed and a video camera was installed in selected digesters to confirm and observe the worm activity in situ under red light. Calculated fill rates of the Tiger Toilets were significantly lower compared to estimated fill rates of traditional pit latrines of a similar size and usage rate. The infiltration of the liquid fraction of the waste into the surrounding soil was observed to be a key factor in filling.
Date Issued
2022-03-01
Date Acceptance
2020-06-23
Citation
Environmental Technology, 2022, 43 (3), pp.376-385
ISSN
0959-3330
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Start Page
376
End Page
385
Journal / Book Title
Environmental Technology
Volume
43
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Environmental Technology on 29 June 2020, available online: http://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2020.1789750
Identifier
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09593330.2020.1789750
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
On-site sanitation
vermifiltration
sustainability
vermi-compost
tiger worms
SEWAGE-TREATMENT
PIT LATRINES
WASTE-WATER
VERMIFILTRATION
EARTHWORMS
SLUDGE
On-site sanitation
sustainability
tiger worms
vermi-compost
vermifiltration
Animals
Bathroom Equipment
Composting
Ecosystem
Humans
India
Sanitation
Tigers
Toilet Facilities
Animals
Tigers
Humans
Sanitation
Ecosystem
Toilet Facilities
India
Bathroom Equipment
Composting
Environmental Engineering
05 Environmental Sciences
06 Biological Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-06-29