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Human waste as fertilizer: Is it safe?
The shrinking volume of the Earth’s resources has forced many farmers to adjust the means and methods of producing food. Because of water shortages and the rising costs of fertilizer, over 200 million farmers, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, use untreated human waste in growing grain and vegetables.
Elsewhere in the U.S., farmers have also begun to turn to human waste as alternative to chemical fertilizer.
While this may strike as unthinkable to some, The International Water Management Institution (IWWI) confirms this is an accepted practice among farmers the world over because sludge from wastewater possesses the same nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium combination as commercial fertilizers and is of course, cheap.
An IWWI report revealed that small farmers like to use wastewater even when their area has other sources of water, and this is mainly because wastewater has high levels of nutrient that help reduce the need to use chemical fertilizers.
It also finds support from the World Health Organization, which recommends guidelines for its use: “Excreta and wastewater use schemes, if properly planned and managed, can have a positive environmental impact, as well as produce fish and plants.”
However, there have been concerns raised as to the safety of this practice, prompting recommendations for prohibition.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded the annual global death toll on diarrhea- and water-related diseases at 2.2 million, 80% of which is due to contaminated water and improper sanitation.
James Batram, a WHO water health expert, refuses to support the prohibition of the practice saying it is “unrealistic”. Around the world, 3.5 to 4.5 million hectares of land develop irrigation from human wastewater and have experienced increased plant growth, according to a Finnish study.
In place of prohibition, experts recommend teaching farmers to use human waste fertilizer safely in accordance with Volume 3 of WHO’s guidelines.
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