Jul 10
21
Some ideas are terribly clever and simple, materials technology is advancing so fast.
In the world today, more than 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation. That means that 40 out of every 100 people lack even the most simple latrine to perform their needs. The lack of toilets affects both society and the individual through the contamination of fresh water and ground water. Human faeces contain viruses, bacteria, worms and parasites which kill and infect people. One child in the world dies every 15 seconds due to contaminated water. The inside of the Peepoo is coated with a thin film of urea. Urea is the most common fertilizer in the world and is a non-hazardous chemical. It is found, for example, in toothpaste or skin cream, often under the name 
of carbamide. When the urea comes into contact with faeces or urine, a breakdown into ammonia and carbonate takes place, driven by enzymes which are naturally occurring in faeces.
As the urea is broken down, the pH value of the material increases and hygienization begins.
Organisms which produce diseases (pathogens) and may be found in faeces (bacteria, viruses and parasites) are inactivated within 2-4 weeks depending on the surrounding temperature. The presence in urine of organisms which cause diseases is at a considerably lower level than in faeces and the hygienization of the urine occurs more quickly. With conventional urine processing, urine sorting, the primary source of contamination is derived from faeces; this risk does not arise here since the bag is a disposable toilet.
Untreated faeces cannot be regarded as hygienized until 1-2 years of storage has passed. The urea treatment is the simplest and most efficient treatment available. In the end, when the bag degrades in the soil, the ammonia acts as a harmless fertilizer taken up by plants.
Via Peepoople.com
Our Rotary Club is located in Coolamon NSW Australia. Feel free to look around and see what we are about!