Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Chunlei Guo of the University of Rochester in the U.S. proposes to develop superhydrophobic materials that not only repel waste for use as a self-cleaning surface for latrines, but also can be used to capture and slough clean water into storage containers before it evaporates or is contaminated.

Henry K. Malak of American Environmental Systems, Inc. in the U.S. seeks to develop low-cost durable silicones with self-cleaning and antimicrobial properties for use as a coating on sanitary units. These silicones will contain embedded metal nanoparticles which react to light by creating electromagnetic fields which kill microbes and produce water repellant properties.

Paul Vernon and a team at Brighton Development, LLC in the U.S. will develop a latrine mat made from a self-sterilizing plastic casting form that can be filled with concrete and set in place to provide a permanent antimicrobial surface for traditional squat latrines. The mat will be tested for its longevity and its ability to kill disease-causing pathogens and odor-producing bacteria.

Naomi Halas and colleagues at Rice University in the U.S. will design and test a prototype sterilizer that employs metallic nanoparticles to absorb solar energy for converting water to steam sufficient for sterilization of human waste. Steam is a highly effective method of sterilization, but intensive energy and infrastructure requirements have limited its small-scale use. In Phase I, they successfully built and tested a solar steam generator-driven autoclave prototype that can quickly transfer and sterilize sufficient volumes of unprocessed human waste.

Jason Aramburu of re:char in the U.S. proposes to use low-cost pyrolysis reactors to convert human waste into biochar, which can be used as a replacement for wood charcoal or chemical fertilizers. This project will also assess the income-generating potential of this biocharcoal.

Robert Borden of North Carolina State University in the U.S. will develop an inexpensive method to efficiently and hygienically remove human waste from cesspits. Borden will modify readily available gasoline powered augers and PVC pipes to operate as a progressive cavity pump for filling drums or other easily transported containers. In Phase I, Borden produced and tested an inexpensive machine that could effectively remove medium- to high-viscosity waste from a range of pits with different accessibilities in South Africa.

Luiza Cintra Campos of the University College London in the United Kingdom proposes to develop a simulation tool that can be used in developing communities that have non-networked sanitation systems to effectively evaluate new sanitation technologies. By including parameters such as pit latrines served, distance to treatment, and potential for energy recovery, the simulation tool can aid communities in determining the best new systems for local needs.

Steven Cobb and a team at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom proposes to develop a macroporous scaffold that can support bacterial cells and metal nanoparticles that work together to catalyze conversion of fecal sludge into hydrogen for electricity. This technology could be used as a stand-alone sanitation solution or integrated into existing sewage pipe networks.

Duvon McGuire of New Life International, Inc. in the U.S. will develop a low-pressure air compressor and air pump that can be used with simple, inexpensive small- scale windmill technologies to power waste water treatment systems in developing countries.

Caitlyn Butler, Mark Henderson and Brad Rogers of Arizona State University in the U.S. will adapt pit latrines to harvest organic substrates and nitrogen compounds in human waste using microbial fuel cells, which will transform the biochemical energy into carbon-neutral electricity.