Tool/Machine

Ioannis Ieropoulos of the University of the West of England, Bristol in the United Kingdom will test the ability of microbial fuel cells to convert urine and sludge into electrical energy while also purifying water by killing disease-causing pathogens in the waste. This technology could enable energy recovery from urine and other waste streams in developing countries.

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.

Virginia Gardiner of Loowatt Ltd. in the United Kingdom will develop a waterless toilet that uses biodegradable film to safely separate and seal waste into a portable cartridge for local anaerobic digestion. The digester will produce fuel (biogas) and fertilizer, creating local waste treatment economies. In Phase I Gardiner performed market research in Madagascar to adapt the basic toilet system to local contexts and to develop a business model.

Mike Allen of Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the United Kingdom proposes to develop a low cost, vortex-based bioreactor that is driven by hand or a bicycle to separate fecal matter from waste water and at the same time introduce bactericidal agents to decontaminate the waste for recycling or safe disposal. In Phase I they designed and built a desk-top vortex bioreactor to test different biocidal agents for their ability to kill bacteria, and to be physically immobilized to enable long term use.

Peter Dreher of Livvon LLC in the U.S. will develop and test a simple toilet with integrated sewage treatment that employs a hand crank to dewater feces and turn it into dry, odorless pellets that can be used for fertilizer or fuel. The air-tight system will also control odor and keep out flies and vermin.

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.

Mumtaz Arthur and colleagues of Biofilcom Ltd. in Ghana will develop and field test a prototype toilet facility that incorporates an aerobic digester to decompose waste along with a low-cost microflush valve that uses minimal amounts of wastewater from the washbasins to improve sanitation and user experience. The field tests will help assess and refine cultural, sanitation, and financial aspects of these community facilities.

Arsenic is a metal considered dangerous to human health because it causes gastrointestinal disorders, skin injuries and is strongly associated with cancer. Underground well water in Peru often has arsenic levels well above the permissible limits for human consumption. Unfortunately, this groundwater is being used by people in rural areas for irrigation and food preparation. Treating the water is possible, but the chemical process is expensive and unsustainable in a rural setting.

When waterways, rivers, lakes and freshwater reservoirs are polluted with untreated or poorly treated wastewater, this has a major impact on the environment, the economy of a country and the health of its population. In Peru, as in many other countries, oxidation ponds are often used for simple secondary treatment of sewage effluents. However, poor design, inadequate maintenance work, the unstoppable industrial development and population growth around urban centres has led to a progressive loss of efficiency of these ponds, and even to the collapse of some locations.

In Peru, 13% of children under five struggle with diarrhea. Access to clean water reduces this number, as well as the incidence of other infectious diseases. Unfortunately, Peruvian rural villages have little access to clean water and show a lack of good hygiene habits because the water is too cold to use without some form of heating. This situation is related with poverty and sparse development opportunities. The Peruvian government has been providing improved cook stoves to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country through social programs.