Using human waste

[remnant]

Its possible to generate a good compost from human waste which contains abundant microbes. The process basically involves putting the human waste into a pit or container and then turning it periodically until its thoroughly cooked. The high temperature resulting from this process is enough to eliminate germs and other undesirable organisms like worms as well as the noxious odour. The sludge can then be pelleted or dried ready for application in the garden.

 

[Beth_B]

It certainly is possible, and used for fertilizer on some big farms. Last week a truck containing human waste sludge was rearended by another vehicle about 10 miles north of me on the freeway, rupturing the tank and spilling it all over the road.

I don't even like to contemplate that some of the produce I buy might be fertilized with that ucky stuff. And as an aside, how about residue from medications and such? About half of the US population is on prescription medication at any given time, not counting OTC meds and supplements.

Anyhow, knock yourself out @remnant . I'm most certainly not saving up my, uh, waste and stirring it until it's cooked.

 

[Chuck]

There is a company here that uses human waste as compost. It is called Biosolids. There are warning labels stating to not to use around edibles. It is for use only on grass.

 

[zigs]

There's usually a pile or two in the fields around here, full of tomato plants, as the seeds go straight thru unharmed.

 

[Chuck]

I guess you could send some to your ex

 

[Esther Knapicius]

No. I would not want to deal with any veggies grown in the stuff.

 

[Chuck]

There are many countries that use human waste and always have. We in the US and Europe never have as far as I know. These people have built up an immunity to the diseases of using human waste which would most likely make us very ill or very dead. Human waste carries hormones and microbes that will not be destroyed or killed by the heat of composting. It would take a much higher temperature and to achieve this temperature would make it too expensive. When I was in Viet Nam and in Turkey back in the late 60's I saw raw human waste being deposited around fruit trees in Turkey and in rice paddies in Viet Nam and it didn't seem to affect those folks at all but we were all told not to consume any raw vegetables or fruit. I didn't, yet I still caught hepatitis A, probably from sloshing around in a rice paddy.

 

[kgord]

Yuk, I think that is the most disgusting idea ever. I don't care whether it is used in other parts of the world, the whole thing sounds like a total turn off..The smell alone would be horrible. I would never consider it. I hope I have not ingested fruit or vegetables grown in that manner either. I mean animal manure is often uses as a fertilizer, but even that is not safe, because I know someone who was using manure as fertilizer, cut his leg and later died from Sepsis! Bad idea, all the way around!

 

[zigs]

I guess you could send some to your ex

I got a special gift for her next year, world's smallest tomato, only grows 3 inches high. Will tell her she'll need a full size growbag for it, or a great big pile of poo

Saving the seeds from it

 

[zigs]

Try smelling the gas from a cheap Chinese lighter like the one in the pic above and have a guess what they make the gas from

 

[MaryMary]

There's usually a pile or two in the fields around here, full of tomato plants, as the seeds go straight thru unharmed.

That is a field of tomatoes from human waste?? I'd say that was more than a pile or two!!

How is that done? Some sort of irrigation/sprayer tractor? (Names of various farm equipment is not one of my strong points. )

Does anyone eat those tomatoes? I only eat tomatoes cooked. That big field of tomatoes makes me so happy, yes, I think I would eat tomatoes from it. But I wouldn't want the runoff from storms in my water supply!

 

[Pat]

I would be very concerned about the disease in the waste that could be passed on to the veggies or any food consumed. I would look at the big field of tomatoes but I don't think I could eat one knowing what was in the soil.

 

[Vinaya]

In our country, farmers use human waste on vegetable. The vegetable grown with human waste does not differ from vegetables grown by using cattle waste. In my farm, I use human waste on my bio gas plant and produce gas for my household use.The leftover waste, including human waste, is a high quality fertilizer.

 

[zigs]

They use a muck spreader

I was gonna sell em at a car boot sale but they were gone before they were ripe

 

[Vinaya]

In our country, farmers use human waste on vegetable. The vegetable grown with human waste does not differ from vegetables grown by using cattle waste. In my farm, I use human waste on my bio gas plant and produce gas for my household use.The leftover waste, including human waste, is a high quality fertilizer.