Review on dry toilet and management: Brown water (feces) characteristics, composition, and management

Background: An essential component of environmental sustainability and sanitation is the management of dry toilets, especially waste disposal. Understanding the composition of the brown water from dry toilets, putting the proper composting technique in place, and guaranteeing safe disposal and reuse procedures are all necessary to handle the waste successfully. It has been discovered that brown water, sometimes known as feces, can be used for brick-making, fuel, fertilizer, and other purposes. Methods: This review focuses on dry toilet technology, management processes, and sanitation systems in Ethiopia and other underdeveloped nations. It utilizes secondary information and searches from Google scholars, Library catalogs, and Researchers to comprehend dry sanitation systems, including their implementation, use, and maintenance. Keywords used in the search include “in-situ treatment,” “fecal sludge treatment,” “fecal slurry management,” and “brown water treatment.” Results: The review used a total of 108 articles and books, agricultural research, and reports on the feces' physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. It also discussed risks associated with the mismanagement of feces, including parasitic diseases in exposed humans. The main aim of the review was to develop an understanding of brown water uses, composition, and management and select the proper method of composting with dry toilets. Conclusion: Dry toilets in developing countries are utilized for ecological sanitation and agriculture, with feces potentially used as fertilizer. Utilizing feces as fertilizer is a sustainable, eco-friendly, and environmentally responsible practice that can increase productivity while maintaining a clean environment.