Why Use Dry Toilets ?
Our Relation to our DejectaThree Generations of Dry Toilets The BLT Instruction Manual
Chemical Composition of Human Dejecta
Composting Human Dejecta
BLT's on the Market
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The text within this page was first published in French on www.eautarcie.com : in 2003
The original text has since been adapted and first published in English on this page at www.eautarcie.org : 2009-06-15
Last update : 2009-10-29
Chemical Composition of Human Dejecta
Source: Composting: Sanitary Disposal and Reclamation of Organic Wastes, by Harold B. Gotaas, monograph under WHO auspices, 1956, p. 35
| Human faeces material without urine | ||
| Approximate quantity : | 150 to 270 g (0.3 - 0.6 lb.) per capita per day moist weight | |
| Approximate composition : | Moisture content | 66 - 80 % |
| Organic matter (dry basis) | 88 - 97 % | |
| Nitrogen (dry basis) | 5.0 - 7.0 % | |
| Phosphorus (P2O5) (dry basis) | 3.0 - 5.4 % | |
| Potassium (K2O) (dry basis) | 1.0 - 2.5 % | |
| Carbon (dry basis) | 40 - 55 % | |
| Calcium (CaO) (dry basis) | 4.0 - 5.0 % | |
| C/N Ratio | 5.0 - 10.0 | |
| Human urine | ||
| Approximate quantity : | Volume: 1.0 to 1.3 litres (1¾ - 2¼ pints) per capita per day | |
| Dry solids: 50 to 70 g (0.12 – 0.16 lb.) per capita per day | ||
| Approximate composition : | Moisture content | 93 - 96 % |
| Organic matter (dry basis) | 65 - 85 % | |
| Nitrogen (dry basis) | 15 - 19 % | |
| Phosphorus (P2O5) (dry basis) | 2.5 - 5.0 % | |
| Potassium (K2O) (dry basis) | 3.0 - 4.5 % | |
| Carbon (dry basis) | 11 - 17 % | |
| Calcium (CaO) (dry basis) | 4.5 - 6.0 % | |
| Nitrogen content | |
Faecal matter : |
5. 4 g (35%) |
| Urine : | 10.2 g (65%) |
To continue reading, go to chapter on Composting human dejecta.