Application of Process Intensification in the Treatment of Pit Latrine Sludge from Informal Settlements in Blantyre City, Malawi
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Many developing countries lack the infrastructure needed for the treatment of fecal sludge. One limitation in implementing available treatment options is the limited availability of land in the urban areas of these countries. This paper investigated the application of process intensification as a way of reducing the land area required to dewater and sanitize pit latrine sludge from informal settlements in Blantyre City, Malawi. The intensification of the sludge treatment process was achieved by enhancing dewatering through the application of additives and by combining the dewatering and sanitization stages. Nine combinations of sludge, lime and rice husk dosages, in addition to a control, were simultaneously loaded on unplanted drying bed units to dewater for 29 days. The study found a significant reduction of 21% to 73% in the land area required to dewater and sanitize pit latrine sludge. From the study, process intensification was shown to have the potential to significantly reduce the land area required to dewater and sanitize pit latrine sludge from informal settlements in Malawi cities. This makes it an option that can be implemented close to informal settlements, despite land limitation in these areas.
Institution: University of Malawi
Language: English
Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,429
Funders: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete, Wellcome Trust, Government of the United Kingdom, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, New Partnership for Africa's Development, African Academy of Sciences, Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa
Awards: G123861907, G131356462, G1532947363, G154122429, G1650373259, G1879544889, G1974015855, G2025417787, G2566724421, G2616461257, Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa+ (CARTA+), G3399693352, G35167842, G3639086947, G3860705625, G4133218166, G4326355804, G4709786132, G5487926425, G5608951132, G5983382732, G6265712692, G6445368145, G6646813353, G6868616705, G6934978824, G7097188452, G7146663558, G7515722644, G7531548847, G7938902035, CARTA/APHRC support 2017-2023, G8580928051, G8836459258
OpenAlex ID: W3020925337