If you’ve ever thought about composting humanure, you need to read The Humanure Handbook - a guide to composting humanure by Joseph Jenkins.
The book is something of a bible within the composting toilet community, and draws on both empirical first hand experience Joseph acquired by managing his own composting toilet system as well as thorough, cited studies of the topic.
This thoroughly researched and engaging book takes you through the miraculous composting process, different types of toilet systems, history of composting toilets (even those like Cuddy) and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
A recurring important theme in the book was how composting addresses the issue of pathogens and disease. This is the number one concern from people who are considering humanure composting: is it safe? In this regard the book is truly impressive, detailing different pathogens and diseases, their prevalence, lifecycle and the ability of composting to kill them. Even the eggs of one particular pathogen, Roundworm (Ascaris) which are particularly stubborn.
Spoiler alert - Thermophilic composting kills all pathogens, really effectively. Yes, even Roundworm eggs.
To achieve the conditions for thermophilic composting depends on the carbon/nitrogen ratio of the pile and its construction. Joseph describes the simple construction and maintenance of a pile as well as the quantities of bulking materials to provide additional carbon. In the book he uses a thermometer to observe the temperature of the compost pile following a cold winter. As a newbie I'd advocate this practice to be sure thermophilic composting is happening and generally learn more how hot it gets and when. To help monitor temperatures during the composting process, WeRadiate is developing a composting sensor to automatically collect this temperature data and analyse it for data geeks like me!
I get a sense of Josephs frustration and exasperation with fecophobic 'experts' who expound advice and knowledge on a subject they have not practiced. This is where Joseph's common sense and practitioner's approach make this handbook such a valuable resource.
Promisingly, government and regulatory attitudes appear to be changing - and probably in no small part thanks to this book. Indeed the author cites praise from the US Department of Health and Human Service, US Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
So, if you’re interested in learning all about humanure composting, The Humanure Handbook is for you. If you’re not quite ready to start composting human waste (although it’s not waste if you compost it!), and just want to learn more about composting toilets in general, head on over to our composting toilet resources section where we’ll answer all your questions.
