Human waste

Human waste, also known as human excreta, is a waste type usually used to refer to byproducts of digestion, such as feces and urine. There are many different ways in which human waste can be collected, treated and disposed or reused, depending on the sanitation system that is in place, e.g. starting with the type of toilet that is being used. The situation differs vastly across the world, with many people in developing countries having to resort to open defecation for lack of other options where the human waste is deposited in the environment, while others can use flush toilets where the human waste is mixed with water, transported and treated in sewage treatment plants. Children's excreta can be disposed of in diapers in municipal solid waste but on a worldwide scale it is also often dumped into the environment, leading to public health risks.

The term "human waste" is used in the general media to mean several things, such as sewage, sewage sludge, blackwater - in fact anything that may contain some human feces. In the stricter sense of the term, human waste is in fact human excreta, i.e. urine and feces, with or without water being mixed in. For example, dry toilets collect human waste without the addition of water.

Human waste is considered a biowaste, as it is a vector for both viral and bacterial diseases. It can be a serious health hazard if it gets into sources of drinking water. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that nearly 2.2 million people die annually from diseases caused by contaminated water. A major accomplishment of human civilization has been the reduction of disease transmission via human waste through the practice of hygiene and sanitation, which can employ a variety of different technologies.

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