Sanitisation – Kretsloppsteknik

RECLAIM – serious gaming soon on the market (limited edition!)

Published 11 November, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

The SPANS project (Sanitation Planning for Alternative Nutrient-recovery Systems) has developed a serious game as a way of informing decision-making in sanitation planning incorporating the recycling of nutrient resources. The game has been tested with decision-makers and university students in Uganda and Sweden. Participants have found the game fun and useful for discussing challenges in sanitation planning.

The game is an board game that is designed for playing with a group of 4 participants. See this video for details of the game.

Policy brief published on the Makerere University Website

Published 10 November, 2020
By Lovisa Lindberg

The SPANS project on Sanitation Planning for Alternative Nutrient-recovery Systems has published its first policy brief. The brief presents results of a study on capital and operational costs for sanitation in Kampala, Uganda. It was found that annualized costs for sewerage systems are 13 time greater than for faecal sludge systems. Sewerage systems receive a greater share of public funding than faecal sludge systems, at the same time that they serve only 1% of the greater metropolitan area. Strategies aiming at equitable and inclusive sanitation need to consider alternative sanitation systems and services in which users enjoy equal shares of public funding.

HOW MUCH SHOULD SAFELY MANAGED SANITATION COST? Click here, to get more knowledge.

36th month meeting for the Run4Life project

Published 8 June, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

The 36 month meeting during June 2-3 for the run4life project was like everything else held like an online meeting. All presentations and discussions were made online. It was interesting to hear that all the pilot areas included in the project were progressing and people are moving into the separating houses in Helsingborg, Gent, Sneek and Vigo. We all looking forward to the final year of the project and the exciting results we will get from it.

Link: https://run4life-project.eu/

New publication on fate of Ascaris at various pH, temperature and moisture levels

Published 1 June, 2020
By Prithvi Simha

A new study assessed the inactivation of Ascaris eggs under various conditions and observed that the exposure of Ascaris eggs to elevated pH (10.5–12.5) at temperatures <27.5 °C for >70 days had no effect on egg viability. To accelerate the inactivation of STH, an increase in the treatment temperature is more effective than pH increase. Alkaline pH alone did not inactivate the eggs but can enhance the effect of ammonia, which is likely to be present in organic wastes.

Follow the link to access the article: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2020.264

Senecal, J., Nordin, A., & Vinnerås, B. (2020). Fate of Ascaris at various pH, temperature and moisture levels. Journal of Water and Health.

SIDA International Training Programme at Kretsloppsteknik

Published 5 December, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

Björn demonstrates how to use a PeePoo toilet *during his lecture*

Earlier this week, a few members of Kretsloppsteknik hosted a group of SIDA’s International Training Programme participants in Uppsala. NIRAS on behalf of SIDA implements a number of International Training Programmes. Kretsloppsteknik is involved as part of this program through NIRAS with focus on participants from both Asian and African countries. During these visits, we teach, present, and do technology demonstration through field visits talking about safe nutrient recycling, source-separating sanitation systems, management of organic wastes, socio-technical systems analysis, etc.

The Susana webinar on Sanitation and Employment aired 21/11 is now available online

Published 22 November, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

In this seminar, moderated by Alejandro Jiménez of the Stockholm International Water Institute, different aspects of employment in the sanitation sector are discussed. Rémi Kaupp from WaterAid tells us about the findings presented in a new WHO report on the Health, Safety and Dignity of Sanitation Workers. Martin Mawajje from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) describe how the emptying services in informal settlements can be formalised using a case from Kampala, Uganda as example. Daniel Ddiba, from the Stockholm Environment Institute tells us about a tool they have developed called REWAMP that can estimate and compare the circular economy potential of sanitation derived products from different sanitation technologies. The last presenter is Cecilia Lalander from our group that gives an example on how black soldier fly larvae treatment can be implemented by a sanitation entrepreneur.

Global Webinar: Sanitation and Employment World Toilet Day 2019

Published 15 November, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

“Ask not what employment can do for sanitation – ask what sanitation can do for employment”.

Commemorating World Toilet Day 2019, Sida and partnersincluding SEI, SLU, WaterAid, SIWI, Univ of KwaZulu-Natal and SuSanA invite you to an inspirational webinar about the excellent yet untapped drivers for business, entrepreneurship and job opportunity that the sanitation value chain represents. While doing so, we will bring attention to critical challenges that workers in the sanitation industry often face and the needed actions being taken to tackle them.

Come and join the conversation on Thursday 21 November at 14:00-15.30 CET to learn more about improving the business of sanitation, for the sanitation workforce and the global communities they serve.

Join the webinar here: https://seint.adobeconnect.com/seiwebinar/

New publication in the Global Water Pathogen Project about Salmonella

Published 5 November, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

Björn Vinnerås and Annika Nordin have together with R Hasan, S Shakoor and I Keenum compiled current knowledge regarding Salmonella. Our focus in the chapter has been the effect upon salmonella in relation to current practices and available treatment technologies. Treatment technologies for reduction of Salmonella in wastewater fractions can be divided into three main types: chemical, biological and thermal. When comparing the inactivation of Salmonella spp. with Escherichia coli, the latter is somewhat more resistant to most treatments and can therefore be used as a proper indicator for salmonella during treatments. Salmonella has several genetically-driven responses to stress related to the inactivation treatments, which increase survival during extreme conditions. In this chapter the inactivation time for salmonella in relation to pH, ammonia concentration and temperature is presented. For pH, generated inactivation chemical substances aid in the inactivation: at higher pH uncharged ammonia is the most active molecule enhancing inactivation while at low pH carbonate and organic acids both increase the efficiency of inactivation. For heat inactivation, increased dry matter content increases the time of survival. Biological treatments affect the survival, while also decreasing the number of viable Salmonella over time. However, the effect of the biological treatment is difficult to monitor and quantify and therefore extended treatment durations are recommended for biological treatment if the treatment is not combined with chemical or thermal treatment.

Social aspects of recycling household wastes: perspectives from Jordan

Published 30 September, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

We were at the Hashemite University in Jordan last week, teaching a group of young students how we can safely recycle different household waste fractions. As part of this week-long course, we organised a day of interactive seminars and a role playing game to improve awareness among the students about the psychology, decision making, and socio-technical aspects of recycling waste.

Teaching students in Jordan about safe nutrient recycling

Published 24 September, 2019
By Prithvi Simha

This week, we (Sahar Dalahmeh, Mikael Pell, Annika Nordin, Cecilia Lalander, and Prithvi Simha) are in Jordan, conducting a 1-week course on recycling of various household waste fractions. The course is given at the Hashemite University, located about 50 km away from the capital city Amman. A group of about 20 very enthusiastic and inquistive students are learning about various topics such as wastewater microbiology, hygienisation, urine diversion and dehydration, vermi- and black soldier fly composting, on-site wastweater treatment, etc.