Human waste
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Human waste is a waste type usually used to refer to byproducts of digestion, such as faeces and urine. Human waste is most often transported as sewage in waste water through sewerage systems. Alternatively it is disposed of in nappies (diapers) in municipal solid waste.
Human waste can be a serious health hazard, as it is a good vector for both viral and bacterial diseases. A major accomplishment of human civilisation has been the reduction of disease transmission via human waste through the practice of hygiene and sanitation, including the development of theories of sewage systems and plumbing.
Human waste can be reduced and reused through use of greywater, waterless urinals and composting toilets. The most common method of waste treatment in rural areas where municipal sewage systems are unavailable is the use of the septic system. In remote rural places without sewage or septic tank systems, small populations allow for the continued use of honey buckets and sewage lagoons (see: anaerobic lagoon) without the threat of disease presented by places with more dense populations.
An example of honey bucket use is by rural villages in Alaska where, due to permafrost, conventional treatment systems can not be utilised.
