Social and institutional feasibility of recycling nutrients in waste in Southern Thailand.

The social and institutional feasibility of recycling plant nutrients in waste in three case study areas, Phattalung, Kuan Lang and Prik, in Southern Thailand has been studied. Three sanitation systems (existing with modifications and alternative) in each area have been evaluated with respect to their acceptance among the local stakeholders and accommodation within the Thai legal framework. Culturally, most proposed recycling methods were accepted by local users, and great interest was expressed towards many of the proposed sanitation systems, except recycling methods involving direct contact with human excreta in Prik (Islamic culture).

Technical, economic and environmental feasibility of recycling nutrients in waste in Southern Thailand.

Technical, economic and environmental criteria were used to evaluate the feasibility of recycling plant nutrients in kitchen waste, human excreta and sullage from households in Phattalung (urban), Kuan Lang (peri urban) and Prik (rural) in Southern Thailand. The difference in situation and context of the three areas called for individual solutions, and for each area three sanitation systems were evaluated. However, in all three areas recycling human excreta and kitchen waste via composting latrines was found to be more environmental feasible than human excreta managed in septic tanks or sub surface trickle irrigation and kitchen waste disposed of at landfill sites or treated at composting plants.

Availability and quality of solid waste and wastewater in Southern Thailand and its potential use as fertiliser.

Recycling nutrients to agriculture with waste in Southern Thailand has been assessed in three model-areas: Kuan Lang, Prik and Phattalung. Samples of biodegradable solid waste and gray wastewater were collected and characteris ed physically and chemically. At present nutrients in the biodegradable solid waste and wastewater are lost, but especially kitchen waste and grey household wastewater constitute a large fertiliser potential.

Composition of human excreta--a case study from Southern Thailand.

In Thailand, human excreta might be recycled into agricultural soils as a supplement to commercial fertiliser and thereby enrich the general fertility of the soils. However, for Thailand an adequate knowledge of the quality of human excreta, in order to assess its fertiliser potential, is not available. A literature survey revealed only very limited information of the chemical composition and generation rate of human excreta in South East Asia.