Does human excreta fertilization increase pathogen contamination in sandy soils?
Jan-Ole Boness1, Timo Kautz1, Bärbel Kroschewski1
1Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut für Agrar- und Gartenbauwissenschaften/Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|December 31, 2025
Summary
Quality-assured human feces compost poses no risk of pathogen contamination in sandy soils. Studies found no increase in fecal indicator organisms like E. coli, Salmonella, Enterococcus, or C. perfringens after compost application.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Human excreta recycling supports the circular economy by recovering nutrients and sequestering carbon.
- Land application of human feces compost carries a risk of pathogen contamination in soil and crops.
- Hygienized Human Feces Compost underwent double thermophilic treatment for quality assurance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk of pathogen contamination in soil after applying hygienized human feces compost.
- To monitor fecal indicator organisms (E. coli, Salmonella, Enterococcus, C. perfringens) in soil.
- To evaluate the suitability of sandy soils for human excreta-derived fertilizers.
Main Methods:
- Conducted one pot experiment and three on-farm trials on loamy sand and sand soils.
- Applied hygienized human feces compost to experimental plots.
- Monitored concentrations of E. coli, Salmonella spp., Enterococcus spp., and C. perfringens over 58 to 1123 days.
Main Results:
- E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Enterococcus spp. were consistently undetected in all soil samples.
- C. perfringens was detected at low concentrations (<10 to 10^3 CFU g^-1 FM).
- No systematic increase in C. perfringens soil concentrations was observed following compost application.
Conclusions:
- Sandy soils appear suitable for the application of quality-assured human excreta-derived fertilizers.
- The investigated hygienized human feces compost did not lead to detectable increases in key fecal indicator organisms in soil.
- The study suggests a low risk of pathogen contamination when using treated human excreta in sandy soil environments.
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