Operating status of public toilets in the Hutong neighborhoods of Beijing: An empirical study

The impact of access to sanitary toilets on rural adult residents' health: Evidence from the China family panel survey

Toilet sanitation is related to public health and environmental protection. In the context of the toilet revolution in rural China, an ordered probit regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of access to sanitary toilets on rural residents' health. Using data from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) in 2014, we found that access to sanitary toilets in rural households significantly improved residents' health, and this finding remained robust across a series of checks. Meanwhile, results of the mechanism analysis showed that preventing feces from contaminating water sources was an important mechanism behind the positive effects of sanitary toilet use on health. We also found that the impact of access to sanitary toilets was more pronounced among female, middle-aged, and low-income people. Toilet revolution plays an important role in ensuring residents' health and protecting water sources, thereby underscoring the need for governments in developing countries to invest in sanitary toilets. In addition, the existing policies and sanitation programs in China need to be improved to promote public health.

Potential barriers in implementing the rural toilet retrofitting project: A qualitative study in Jiaozuo, China

Background

China has launched a large "toilet revolution" in rural areas, but the results show that sanitation has not always been markedly improved. Few scholars have paid attention to this issue, and the list of the reasons is scattered and incomplete.

Method

Using the qualitative research method, this study interviewed seven village cadres and 39 villagers in three villages of Jiaozuo City to examine the implementation barriers to rural toilet retrofitting (RTR) projects in China.

Results

Using the Van Meter and Van Horn policy implementation approach, the research has found that: (a) unreasonable standards and objectives fail to incorporate local conditions and improve the actual quality; (b) lack of capital and human resources cannot renovate new toilets; (c) uncoordinated inter-organizational communication and enforcement activities by top-down mechanism lead to policy implementers and target groups' dissatisfaction with the policy; (d) weak and unenthusiastic, inadequate implementing agencies, reduce their working ability; (e) inappropriate economic, social and political conditions impede the villagers' acceptance; and (f) an attitude of passive acceptance by the implementers reduce the working motivation.

Conclusion

To improve sanitation in rural China, it is necessary to solve the six barriers. The findings of this study can provide recommendations and guidance for implementing the RTR and related public health policies.

Assessing inter and intra-variation in the characteristics of faecal sludge from Vadgaon Maval, Maharashtra: For better faecal sludge management in India

Faecal Sludge (FS) produced in developing countries has become a significant source of water pollution. The optimal treatment of FS can lead to a sustainable economy. In India, the second phase of the open defecation free (ODF) initiative (energy recovery by providing city- or town-level centralised FS treatment plants) has begun from 2019 to sustain millions of toilets. However, to achieve this goal, India must address significant knowledge gaps such as the type of available on-site sanitation treatments (OSTs), optimal time of emptying the OSTs, and variations in the FS characteristics with age. Thus, the present study analysed FS samples collected from Vadgaon Maval, Maharashtra, India, to understand the inter- and intra-variation in FS characteristics. The pH, electrical conductivity, total solids (TS), specific gravity (SG), organic matter (OM), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and pathogen content of FS samples were observed to be in the range of 7-7.65, 1.19-4.01 mS/cm, 1-123 g/L, 0.88-1.26, 18.4%-100%, 960-6080 mg/L, and 10⁵-10⁹ number/L of FS, respectively. The inter-variation of FS characteristics exhibited that the pH, EC, TS, and SG increased, whereas OM, settling, and drying capacity decreased with an increase in age. Fresh FS (excreta degraded for ≤3 years) was yellowish-brown in colour and exhibited low TS, low SG, and high OM. On the other hand, older FS (excreta degraded for >3 years) was blackish-brown in colour and exhibited high TS, SG, and pathogen content. This observation indicates that FS vacuum pumping may be difficult in the sludge zone after 3 years of excreta degradation, which may encourage the manual scavenging practice. Additionally, the analysis of FS treatment plant (FSTP) process control parameters (settled sludge volume, sludge volume index, and sludge drying capacity) indicated that the treatment time required for older FS is long, which increases the FSTP cost. Furthermore, FS intra-variation in OST exhibited that effluent FS could be directly sent for effluent treatment without any solid-liquid separation process. Thus, the present study can help practitioners in establishing or modifying FS treatment systems for addressing conditions based on the variation in FS characteristics at the town level in India.