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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2001, p. 4036-4040, Vol. 67, No. 9
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.9.4036-4040.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Survival of Fecal Coliforms in Dry-Composting Toilets

Thomas Redlinger,1,* Jay Graham,2 Verónica Corella-Barud,2 and Raquel Avitia2

Department of Biological Sciences1 and Center for Environmental Resource Management,2 The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968

Received 2 April 2001/Accepted 15 June 2001

The dry-composting toilet, which uses neither water nor sewage infrastructure, is a practical solution in areas with inadequate sewage disposal and where water is limited. These systems are becoming increasingly popular and are promoted to sanitize human excreta and to recycle them into fertilizer for nonedible plants, yet there are few data on the safety of this technology. This study analyzed fecal coliform reduction in approximately 90 prefabricated, dry-composting toilets (Sistema Integral de Reciclamiento de Desechos Orgánicos [SIRDOs]) that were installed on the U.S.-Mexico border in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. The purpose of this study was to determine fecal coliform reduction over time and the most probable method of this reduction. Biosolid waste samples were collected and analyzed at approximately 3 and 6 months and were classified based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Results showed that class A compost (high grade) was present in only 35.8% of SIRDOs after 6 months. The primary mechanism for fecal coliform reduction was found to be desiccation rather than biodegradation. There was a significant correlation (P = 0.008) between classification rating and percent moisture categories of the biosolid samples: drier samples had a greater proportion of class A samples. Solar exposure was critical for maximal class A biosolid end products (P = 0.001). This study only addressed fecal coliforms as an indicator organism, and further research is necessary to determine the safety of composting toilets with respect to other pathogenic microorganisms, some of which are more resistant to desiccation.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, TX 79968. Phone: (915) 747-6995. Fax: (915) 747-5808. E-mail: thomasr{at}utep.edu.


Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2001, p. 4036-4040, Vol. 67, No. 9
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.9.4036-4040.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.