Chemical toilet
The chemical toilet is a toilet in which chemical substances are used to reduce putrefaction (odor formation) and disinfect the excretions. The feces are collected in a tank. There are versions with and without a flush.
Chemical toilets are used in particular in places where it is not possible to connect toilets to the sewer system . The most common forms are mobile camping toilets, on- board toilets for public transport and mobile toilet cubicles , which are also known colloquially as "Dixiklo" and are mainly used at major events and on construction sites.
Formaldehyde , glutaraldehyde or quaternary ammonium compounds are used as disinfectants . Many of these agents are problematic as they can disable the biological stage of sewage treatment plants . But there are also biodegradable agents. The degradable agents have no disinfecting effect. Their main purpose is to hide the smell and color. They are mainly used in camping toilets with cassettes. The residence time in them is only a few days.
The German Association for Water Management, Sewage and Waste (DWA) describes in its ATV leaflet M 270 "Disposal of the contents of mobile toilets with sanitary additives (chemical toilets)", under which conditions these sanitary additives can be treated in a sewage treatment plant.
Risks
Many additives for chemical toilets are environmentally questionable, which is based on their mode of action as strong antibacterial poisons (e.g. formaldehyde ). In sewage treatment plants, they can only be treated in highly diluted form, since otherwise there is a risk that the decomposition of the organic components of the faeces will break down by microorganisms and that wastewater will be discharged into nature without being treated. Contrary to the declaration, additives that are "fully biodegradable" also pose a risk to the environment if they are improperly disposed of. Together with fragrances, the chemicals are supposed to suppress the formation of odors by bacteria. In the case of daily or almost daily emptying, on the other hand, water is sufficient as an additive to suppress odor formation until the next emptying.
Individual evidence
- ↑ German Association for Water Management, Sewage and Waste: "Disposal of the contents of mobile toilets with sanitary additives (chemical toilets), ATV leaflet M 270", edition 05 1997, ISBN 978-3-927729-54-4 .
- ↑ BUND - Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation, Chemical Toilets Risk ( Memento of the original from June 20, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
