Abstract
Objectives
We studied the influence of different additive materials (lime, and rice husk) and aeration conditions on Ascaris lumbricoides egg die-off in 24 vaults of an experimental excreta storage unit.
Methods
Excreta samples were collected once every two weeks over a 181-day period. Temperature, pH, and moisture content were recorded. A. lumbricoides eggs were quantitatively analyzed by the Romanenko method, which identified and counted live and dead eggs.
Results
From the first sampling (0 storage day) to the final sampling (181 storage days) the average percentage of viable A. lumbricoides eggs decreased gradually from 76.72 ± 11.23% (mean ± SD) to 8.26 ± 5.20%. The storage time and the high pH value significantly increased the die-off of helminth eggs. Over 181 storage days, all vaults option effectively reduced A. lumbricoides eggs die-off.
Conclusions
The best vault option, with aeration and 10% lime per total weight, met the WHO standard for excreta treatment on the 111th storage day.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the kind cooperation and participation of the health station staff and community members in Hoang Tay commune. We would like to thank Dr. Do Trung Dung and the staff of the Parasitology and Entomology Department at the National Institute of Malariology for performing the stool examinations for the helminth eggs, as well as Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huan and the staff of the Department of Pedology and Soil Environment at Hanoi National University for performing humidity analysis of excreta samples. Vi Nguyen edited the English of this paper. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the National Centre for Competences in Research (NCCR) North–South program.
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This study was approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Hanoi University of Public Health (020/2012/YTCC-HĐ3).
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This article is part of the supplement “Health and social determinants of health in Vietnam: local evidence and international implications”.
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Vu-Van, T., Pham-Duc, P., Winkler, M.S. et al. Ascaris lumbricoides egg die-off in an experimental excreta storage system and public health implication in Vietnam. Int J Public Health 62 (Suppl 1), 103–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0920-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0920-y
Keywords
- Ascaris lumbricoides
- Helminth
- Human excreta
- Waste reuse
- Vietnam