Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37214236›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental challenges (Amsterdam, Netherlands)2023

Effect of ageing on the physicochemical properties of human faeces in the context of onsite sanitation.

T M Chatema, E Mercer, S Septien, J Pocock, C A Buckley

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental challenges (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Emerging pollutants in pharmaceutical and personal care product industrial effluents: Characterization and their environmental impacts.Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

T M ChatemaWASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 4041, Durban, South Africa.
E MercerWASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 4041, Durban, South Africa.
S SeptienWASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 4041, Durban, South Africa.
J PocockWASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 4041, Durban, South Africa.
C A BuckleyWASH R&D Centre (formerly the Pollution Research Group), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 4041, Durban, South Africa.
University of KwaZulu-Natal · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sanitation systems involving onsite storage of faecal matter cause excreta to undergo transformation and primary treatment in-situ. However, little is known about the transformation pathway followed by fresh faeces while contained in situ. The current paper investigated this transformation under ambient conditions during a 16-week in-situ-storage period. Moisture content, drying kinetics, rheological, physicochemical, and thermal properties were analysed to determine the effects of ageing. The faeces experienced dehydration, mainly affecting moisture-dependent characteristics. Moisture content decreased from 79%wt to 26%wt, and water activity of 0.67, which corresponds mainly to the removal of interstitial bound water, reducing mass by 72%. The decreasing moisture content expectantly reduced drying ability, flowability and thermal properties (heat capacity and thermal conductivity). During this period, negligible biodegradation was recorded (volatile solids reduced by 3%), resulting in consistent chemical oxygen demand, particle size, carbon content and calorific values. Ammonium and nitrates decreased, but total nitrogen remained unchanged. Therefore, ageing affects nitrogen chemical forms and not nutrient composition. The findings demonstrate the benefits of source separation and in particular ventilated storage as a passive way to pre-treat and recover resources from faecal material.

Indexed as

DryingMoisture boundnessNutrient analysisRheologySource separation sanitationThermal properties

Identifiers

PMID37214236
PMCPMC10199408
OpenAlexW4366132720

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.