Estimating the Health Risk Associated with the Use of Ecological Sanitation Toilets in Malawi
Table 2
Estimated exposure doses of EcoSan sludge.
Exposure route
How people may get exposed
How much and for how long
Estimated exposure days in a year
Estimated dose range in g per year
Estimated average doses in g per year
FA
UDDT
FA
UDDT
FA
UDDT
Inhalation
Inhalation through aerosol in the air while walking outside where humus is stored, farming, emptying, and application in the field
0.1 g maximum per day for 6 months in a year, approximately 5 and 3 days a week in rural (FA) and periurban areas (UDDT), respectively
120
72
0–6
0–3.6
3.0
1.8
Ingestion
Accidental ingestion during pit emptying, transportation, application in the field without personal protection, and limited hand washing and through water and food contamination
Estimated at 0.1 g maximum per day for 4 days a year
4
4
0–0.4
0–0.4
0.2
0.2
Dermal contact
Skin contact through bare feet around household where humus is stored, emptying, and transportation and during application in the field
Estimated at 0.3 g maximum per day for 6 months in a year, approximately 5 and 3 days a week in rural (FA) and periurban areas (UDDT), respectively
