This is another presentation visualizing the work on Ecological Sanitation by University of Agricultural Sciences in collaboration with Arghyam Foundation.

1. Don't let it 'just' flow
alternative uses of human urine as fertilizer
WHAT
HOW
WHY
RESEARCH

3. What is Sanitation?
World Health Organization states:
"Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine
and feces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is
known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The
word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage
collection and wastewater disposal.”
India Status
841 million people - NO access to improved sanitation [a]
626 million - practice open defecation [a]
1000 children die everyday from diaahorea [b]
a.
b.
1
Joint Monitoring Program Report 2012 , http://www.wssinfo.org/
UNICEF India, http://www.unicef.org/india/reallives_6575.htm
WHAT
3

4. What is ecological sanitation?
It is an approach to sanitation where human waste is seen as a reusable nutrient source, which must be returned to the soil
thereby “closing the ecological nutrient cycle”
soil nutrient
food production
food consumption
waste generation
soil nutrient
A toilet designed to enable this process of using human waste is called ecosan toilet. In comparison to conventional toilets, ecosan
toilets require very little water and exhibit efficient solid-liquid waste management, thus making it environmentally sustainable
Conventional Toilet
Fecal
matter and
urine
collected
in the
same tank
Solid-liquid
waste mix
remains in soak
pit /septic tank
/feeds into
sewerage system
Nutrients lost
A conventional toilet is a system primarily designed for disposal of
human waste. The fate of human waste or its environmental impact is
given little consideration. Typically solid and liquid waste gets mixed
and is either stored in a septic tank for long durations or fed into
sewerage systems. This requires large amounts of water.
2
Ecosan Toilet
separation at
source
Urine used as
fertiliser
supplement
Soil
Solid waste
decomposes
gradually and
used as manure
Nutrients returned to soil
An ecosan toilet incorporates wider considerations of environmental
impact and sustainability in management of human waste. It does not
merely restrict itself to disposal. Human waste is seen as a vital source
of nutrients which can be reused and fed back into the ecological cycle.
The result of this process is efficient solid-liquid waste management.
The cost of an ecosan toilet varies from Rs 7000 to Rs 15000 based on different types of materials used for
construction of the superstructure.
WHAT

5. How does an ecosan toilet work?
Using the toilet
2 (a). Fecal matter is
deposited in the storage
chamber.
Appearance of a typical 1. Urine is
collected in the
ecosan toilet.
middle basin. A
pipe leads it to a
container outside.
2 (b). A handful of
ash, dried leaves,
sawdust or grain
husk is spread over it
and the compartment
is covered with lid.
2 (c). The second
chamber is used when
first fills up. By the time
the second chamber fills
up, the solid waste in the
first chamber decomposes
into manure.
3. Washing is done
in the wash area.
The water collects
outside through a
pipe.
Using the manure
+
Urine
3
=
Water
Collected urine is
diluted with water
(1:1) and used after
storing for 2-4
weeks. Urine and
water mixture has a
potential as
fertiliser.
Decomposition of solid waste into
manure takes 8-12 months. After
this it can be applied/added to the
soil as such.
HOW

6. Why ecosan?
Ecosan toilets are appropriate for:
Environment
Water
Sustainability
4
Ecosan is a paradigm shift from the ‘flush and
forget’ approach to sanitation. It concerns itself
with the fate of waste after it is generated and
mere disposal is not its ultimate goal. This
approach to human waste impacts the
environment significantly.
Geography
Water Quality
Poor access to sanitation and low levels of
sewage treatment implies that human waste is a
significant contributor to both ground and
surface water pollution.
Water Consumption
Compared to conventional toilets (5/8 liters of
water/use) this system involves minimal use of
water.
Ecosan is an effective approach to augment
ecological nutrient recycling. The chain from soil
nutrient to food production, its consumption and
waste generation and placing nutrition back to
the soil is completed by ecosan.
Water scarce area: Since this toilet requires water only for
washing (after defecation) it is suitable for these areas.
High water table and flood prone area: In these regions
toilets contaminate groundwater with fecal matter, as the
waste easily leaches into ground water.
Rocky area: Conventional toilets are difficult to construct
in rocky areas because waste collection and drainage lies
below ground level. Whereas ecosan toilets can be
constructed entirely above ground level.
Relevance of ecosan toilets during natural disasters and
emergencies: The simple design, low cost and short time
required for construction makes ecosan toilets very
suitable during natural disasters and emergency
situations.
Productive potential of human urine
We have a an unconsidered source of free fertiliser
in human waste. Experimental results reveal crop
productivity comparable to chemical fertilisers
Design and use of ecosan toilets
Economics
Ecosan toilet designs are versatile and can be built
from a variety of building materials which are
locally available. Due to this, cost of construction
can also be tailored to the users’ budget.
WHY

7. Why Urine?
Every person produces around 500 liters o urine in a year which contains 1.5 Kg of Nitrogen, 0.85 kg of Phosphorus and 0.8 Kg of Potassium. Ideally if we collect all the urine
produced from a billion people we can produce 1.5 million tons of Nitrogen,0.85 tons of Phosphorus and 0.8 tons of Potassium. This means we could offset national
agricultural demand for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium by 9, 12 and 22 percent respectively.
NPK requirement for
agriculture in India
ALW
500 liters /year
1.37 liters/day
generated in a year
1 Billion
kg
N
kg
P
kg
K
million tons
million tons
million tons
WASTED
N - Nitrogen | P - Phosphorus | K - Potassium
5
N
P
K
million tons
million tons
million tons
REQUIRED
WHY

8. Initiating Studies in human urine
Arghyam has lead several initiatives in sustainable sanitation and alternatives for waste reuse. Some evidences related to
productive and environmentally safe appropriate use of human waste has emerged from these initiatives.
Academic research
Lack of any scientific study on the ‘protocol to apply
urine’ and ‘its implication on crop yield and soil
productivity capacity’ has always concerned the
farmers, partner organizations and Arghyam. This
gave rise for a need to conduct academic research to
understand use o human waste as manure.
6
Objective
1. To develop a protocol on
frequency and quantity of
application of human liquid
waste for selected crops.
In 2008, Arghyam partnered with University of
Agriculture Sciences (UAS), Bangalore. Being a
premier institute in agriculture research and studies,
UAS brings with it credibility and their work is
thoroughly validated and accepted among the
scientific community.UAS led research in ascertaining
the use of anthropogenic liquid waste (ALW) or urine
as a probable source of soil macronutrients and in
characterisation of human urine for its nutrient
content. This study was conducted in Bangalore,
Karnataka over a period of 4 years on soil types so
and so.
2. To study the effect of
application of human liquid
waste on growth and yield
of crops and economics of
cultivation.
3. To study the effect of
application of human liquid
waste on physical, chemical
and biological properties of
soil.
Experiments
conducted on
Soil
Maize
Banana
Radish
Pumpkin
Ash Gourd
Tomatoes
French and Pole beans
Other Crops
RESEARCH

9. Research Methedology
Hypothesis
Application of ALW*
as a nutrient source
has a positive
impact on soil
properties and crop
growth.
Test
Observe
Tested on
Maize
&
Radish
Banana
Pumpkin
Soil
Ash Gourd
Tomatoes
Other
crops
7
*ALW - Anthropogenic Liquid Waste (Urine)
** Farm Yard Manure
French and Pole
beans
•Comparative study of
crop growth with
varying treatment
using fertilizer ,
FYM**, ALW &
different ALW
combinations with
gypsum.
•Changes in soil
parameters after
treating it with varying
ALW concentrations
and cattle urine with
and without gypsum.
Inference
•A combination of
ALW + gypsum gives
crop growth results at
par (partially higher)
with recommended
dose of fertilizer.
•pH levels of soil
treated with a
combination of ALW +
gypsum and soil
treated with FYM are
similar in values.
•Pot experiment with
radish plants.
RESEARCH

10. Inference
Experiment on soil
1.
Application of ALW
ALW
+
Soil
RDN supplied by
F
G
Plots treated with only human or cattle urine have shown
higher pH level in soil when compared to plots treated with
FYM. However, plots treated with human/cattle urine and
gypsum have similar pH level as plots treted with FYM. Similar
observation has been made in electrical conductivity of soil.
in splits
in splits
G
U
U
U
U
U
U
G
2. Highest content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
exchangeable calcium, magnesium and micro-nutrients in soil
was recorded in plots treated with recommended doses of
nitrogen through human urine along with gypsum in three
split doses.
ALW
Water
F
Gypsum
U
Urea
RDN
8
Fertiliser
G
Recommended
dose of
nitrogen
3. The highest total soluble solids were recorded when both laterite and red soil were
applied with twice the recommended dose of N through human urine.
4. Soil microbes like soil fungi, bacterial, actinomycetes, N-fixers
and P-solublizer population is found higher in soil treated with two
doses of urine and least in soil treated with chemical fertilisers.
RESEARCH

11. Inference
Experiments with crops
1.
Best results are observed in vine length, leaf area
index, number of branches, leaves per plant of most
of the study plants, with application of human urine
with gypsum in 3 split doses.
2. Human urine applied with gypsum in 3 splits to
Ashgourd, French beans, pole beans and pumpkin
has given better yield in comparison with chemical
fertilizer/ FYM,/cattle urine applied singly or in
different combinations.
3. Content of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus,
calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese is
higher in fruit (Ashgourd, french beans, pole beans
and pumpkin) harvested from the plot treated with
recommended dose of human urine in combination
with gypsum supplied in three split doses.
9
RESEARCH

12. Protocol to use urine for different crops
S.No.
Crop Name
Recommended
dosage of NPK
(kg/hectare)1
Total Urine Required
(in litres)
Per M 2
2.1
Interval of Application5
No. of
Splits
3
I
Sowing time3
II 2
25-30
days
III2
15-20
days
1.
French Beans
63:100:75
Per Acre
8400
2.
Field Beans
25:50:25
3333
0.8
3
Sowing time
25-30
days
15-20
days
3.
Tomato
250:250:250
83333
0.8
4
Transplanting
time
30 days
30 days
4.
Brinjal
125:100:50
16667
4.2
3
Sowing/transp 30 days
lanting time
50 days
5.
Lady Finger
125:75:63
16667
4.2
3
6.
Finger Millet
100:50:50
13333
3.3
5-6
10
Sowing time
30 days
50 days
Sowing time Transplant Active
ing
tillering
Ideal Quantity of
Application
IV 2
--
V2
--
50 percent during
sowing , rest 50% in
two splits4
--50 percent during
sowing, rest 50% in
two splits
30 days
-25 percent during
transplanting /sowing,
rest 75% in three splits
--50 percent during
transplanting /sowing,
rest 50% in two splits
--50 percent during
sowing, rest 50% in
two splits
25% of
50% 25% during sowing and
flowering
of
25% after
floweri transplanting, rest 50%
ng
in three splits

13. Protocol to use urine for different crops
S.No.
Crop Name
Recommended
dosage of NPK
(kg/hectare)1
Total Urine Required
(in litres)
Per Acre
7.
No. of
Splits
Per M 2
Interval of Application5
I
II 2
III2
Ideal Quantity of
Application
IV 2
V2
100:50:50
13333
3.3
5-6
Sowing
time
Flag leave
stage
Active
tillering
8.
Paddy in
aerobic
condition
Maize
150:75:40
20000
5
2-3
30 days
50 days
--
--
9.
Soybean
30:80:38
4000
1
2
50 days
50 days
--
--
10.
Cluster bean
25:75:60
3333.2
0.33
2
Sowing
time
Sowing
time
Sowing
time
45 days
50 days
--
--
11.
Marigold
225:60:60
30,000
7.5
4
Transplanti
ng
30 days
45 days
60 days
--
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
11
As per the Karnataka Package of Practices (PoP)
After the previous application
It is compulsory to apply urine during sowing/transplanting time
Always should be given as top dressing
Recommended time for application of urine is either in early morning (6 to 7 am) or in evening (5-6 pm) (after sunset)
Urine should be applied with rose can or any plastic bowl
Recommendations are made for soil application only
Panicle Booting 25% during sowing, rest
initiation
75% in four splits
50% during sowing, rest
50% in two splits
50% during sowing, rest
50% in applications
50 percent during
sowing, rest 50% in 2
applications
25 percent during
transplanting, rest 75%
in three splits

14. About
Arghyam
Text from Madhavi/Surashree
12
1
UAS, Bangalore
Text from Surashree

16. Published By: Arghyam, Bangalore, India
Citation: Don't let it 'just' flow
Produced By: Arghyam, 2012
Arghyam acknowledges the support of its partners University of Agriculture Sciences, who have contributed
to Arghyam’s ecosan initiative.
Available From: ARGHYAM, #599, 12th Main, HAL 2nd
Stage,Indiranagar, Bangalore, Karnataka INDIA. PIN- 560008
Email: info@arghyam.org | Phone: +91 (080) 41698941 / 42
Fax: +91 (080) 41698943| www.arghyam.org