Ecological sanitation is safe. Excreta are treated and processed on site, and if so required off
site, until completely free from pathogens and inoffensive. Excreta, especially faeces, may beprocessed a second time by composting or dehydration. Key factors that accelerate pathogen
destruction are increasing pH, elevated temperatures and desiccation. All are non-toxic means
to disinfect excreta. Thus, ecological sanitation prevents transmission of infectious disease
agents reducing the burden of disease. Pathogens that gain access to water bodies through
conventional approaches pose a long-term threat to human health. Pathogens have been
shown to survive in water much longer than on land,7
and pathogens may survive in marine
environments for years. Because ecological sanitation is not polluting, it contributes toward the
protection of human health by providing a healthy environment. Human excreta also contain
very low levels of heavy metals. For example, in Sweden urine contained less than 3.2 mg
cadmium per kg of phosphorous compared to 26 mg Cd/kg P in commercial fertilisers and 55
mg Cd/kg P in sludge.9
Conventional solutions install barriers to keep excreta, laden with
pathogens, away from people, and treatment is an after thought as best. Sewerage also serves
as a conduit for concentrating industrial contaminants, such as heavy metals.