Health risk assessment of pit compost latrine at Oshkhandas Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Paper Details
Health risk assessment of pit compost latrine at Oshkhandas Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Abstract
This study was carried out in Oshkhandas valley to evaluate the impact of pit latrine on human health. It is a remote area where people still use traditional pit latrines due to which the health and hygiene system of the area is not up to the mark. Besides, the socioeconomic status of the inhabitants of the area is not satisfactory. Most of the dwellers rely on their agriculture production and its income to meet the demands of life. In this connection farmers of the area use pit latrine content as natural organic fertilizer for the crop production. To study the harmful impacts of pit content on human health, samples were taken from pit latrine and agriculture soil amended with organic manure to check the difference in microbial load in pit samples and soil samples. During this study overall 100 samples were taken 50 samples each from pit and agriculture field soil from the month of October 2012 to July 2013. During this study the overall microbial load in the area was found to be 6965.50/100g Among this the targeted parasites (Ascaris lumbricoid , Trichuris trichuria, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium) in pit samples were 1821.42/50g and in soil samples 1691.95/50g while the targeted bacteria (E.coli, Salmonella, shigella, streptococcus faecalis, clostridium perfringens) in pit are 1917.84/50g and in soil samples 1534.29/50g.
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