The functional ecology of on-site sanitation systems

现场卫生方面的许多技术挑战被认为是由于缺乏适当的设计准则造成的。假设进入这种系统的人类排泄物(即粪便污泥)经历厌氧降解，降低了它们的积累速度，并减少了坑内清空的频率。目前关于坑式厕所生物降解机理的概念和数值模型都是基于这样一个假设，即这类系统的功能类似于厌氧反应器，乙酰化反应途径是产甲烷的主要模式。然而，最近对被动系统污泥的产甲烷活性分析的研究质疑了对这种系统的理解所基于的前提。该方案的总体目标是通过确定和描述相关的功能生态，更好地了解现场被动式卫生系统的生物降解机制。此外，该方案还将处理与粪便污泥特征有关的其他问题，以促进实地研究和卫生系统的运作，以及粪便污泥管理的可持续规划。这项工作挑战了目前关于被动式现场卫生系统功能生态学的假设。研究结果将使人们更清楚地了解现场系统中的相关降解机制。一旦这种系统从人们鲜为人知的只收集和储存人类排泄物的“地洞”，转移到可以(至少部分地)处理粪便污泥的工程“反应堆”，它们的公共和环境健康益处可以通过延长使用寿命得到支持。这将建立一个新的范例，新的合理设计可以基于并应用于其他现场卫生系统。该项目的影响还将惠及加拿大孤立的住宅和土著社区，在那里，分散的卫生设施被认为是对缺乏废水处理的地区具有成本效益的解决方案。该计划将为HQP提供定制的培训，包括技术培训(例如，化学/微生物分析、分析技能等)。和专业性(例如写作、演示等)能力。这项培训计划将在高度协作的研究环境中进行，涉及多个学科(工程学、微生物学、生物化学等)，与不同的合作者(学术界、工业界、政府和非政府组织)互动，并在各种地理/文化环境中进行。Dorea教授在环境和公共卫生工程的十字路口拥有超过15年的经验，在以下领域领导合作研究：水和卫生/废水技术的开发和评估，现场和运营商适当的水/废水/粪便污泥质量分析方法，以及生物处理系统的功能生态特征，以保护公众和环境的健康。

Many of the technical challenges in on-site sanitation are thought to result from a lack of adequate design guidelines. It is assumed that human waste (i.e. faecal sludge) entering such systems undergo anaerobic degradation, decreasing their accumulation rates and reducing the frequency of pit emptying. Current conceptual and numerical models of pit latrine biodegradation mechanisms are based on a supposition that such systems function analogously to anaerobic reactors with acetoclastic pathways being the principal mode of methanogenesis. Yet, recent studies on methanogenic activity assays on sludge from passive systems question the premises on which the understanding of such systems are based on. The overall objective of this programme is to better understand biodegradation mechanisms in onsite passive sanitation systems through the identification and characterisation of their relevant functional ecology. Additionally, this programme will also address other issues relative to the characterisation of faecal sludge to facilitate field research and the operation of sanitation systems as well as sustainable planning of faecal sludge management. This work challenges current assumptions on the functional ecology of passive on-site sanitation systems. The results will lead to a clearer understanding of relevant degradation mechanisms in on-site systems. Once such systems move from being poorly-understood "holes in the ground" that only capture and store human waste to engineered "reactors" that can (at least partially) treat faecal sludge, their public and environmental health benefits can be bolstered through an extended service life. This will set a new paradigm from which novel rational designs can be based on and applied to other on-site sanitation systems. The impact of this project will also benefit Canadian isolated residences and indigenous communities, where decentralised sanitation is considered a cost-effective solution for areas suffering from lack of wastewater treatment.  This programme will provide a bespoke training for HQPs including both technical (e.g. chemical/microbiology analyses, analytical skills, etc.) and professional (e.g. writing, presentation, etc.) competencies. This training plan will be conducted in a highly collaborative research environment with several disciplines (engineering, microbiology, biochemistry, etc.), interaction with diverse collaborators (in academia, industry, government, and NGOs), and in a variety of geographical/cultural settings. Prof. Dorea has over 15 years of experience at the crossroads of environmental and public health engineering leading collaborative research in the the development and evaluation of water and sanitation/wastewater technologies, field and operator appropriate water/wastewater/faecal sludge quality analytical methods, and functional ecology characterisation of biological treatment systems for safeguarding the health of the public and the environment.