Building knowledge, delivering insight

Armed with the vision to create a world of universal access to clean water and safe sanitation, the WASH R&D Centre – previously called the Pollution Research Group – focuses on building knowledge and delivering insight that provides solutions for global water and sanitation challenges through an integrative, transdisciplinary approach.

The late Professor Chris Buckley, former director of the University of KwaZuluNatal (UKZN) WASH R&D Centre, strongly encouraged collaboration with researchers in agriculture, development studies, chemical and civil engineering, economics, statistics, modelling, and social sciences when solving water and sanitation challenges,” says Dr Colleen Archer, parasitologist and head of laboratory, UKZN WASH R&D Centre.

She adds that this approach has filtered into the structure of the WASH R&D Centre, where its key activities include: • research support to eThekwini

Municipality on aspects of water and sanitation service delivery and management • provision of technical, engineering and laboratory support to developers of new sanitation technologies being tested in the field • research into the circular economy and the link between sanitation and agriculture • engaging with communities and households participating in water and sanitation research projects • supervision of postgraduate students in projects related to water, sanitation, agriculture and health • strengthening existing collaborations with funders, government bodies, research organisations and industry, and forging new relationships.

Dr Colleen Archer, parasitologist and head of laboratory, UKZN WASH R&D Centre

Thabiso Zikalala, acting lab manager, UKZN WASH R&D Centre Community engagement

The Social Sciences Division plays a huge role within the UKZN WASH R&D Centre. “Social acceptance of sanitation technology is pivotal to the success of new toilets. Sanitation pilot projects must be placed within a community that accepts them. The community needs to understand the value the toilets can bring, and often need to accept that they are not a permanent feature. Furthermore, new sanitation technology relies on feedback from the community for modifications and improvement,” explains Thabiso Zikalala, acting lab manager, WASH R&D Centre.

Collaborative partnership with eThekwini Municipality

Since 2003, the UKZN WASH R&D Centre has provided eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Unit (EWS) with scientific support to develop and implement innovative water and sanitation services to the underserved, along with efforts to maintain cost-competitive waste treatment services to industry, and ensure the health and environmental status of rivers and beaches is maintained. Over the years, memoranda of agreement have been signed between the two organisations to formalise the collaboration.

Most projects conducted by the WASH R&D Centre have an impact on water and sanitation service delivery in eThekwini, and EWS is a key partner in the Centre’s research.

“We believe in conducting research that can be applied in our own ‘backyard’. This collaboration ensures the success of new sanitation technologies because they are thoroughly tested by us both in the field and in our laboratory. EWS is dedicated to improving sanitation,” states Archer.

Bioprocessing laboratory

The WASH R&D Centre maintains a modernised bioprocess engineering

laboratory with specialised equipment for analysing wastewater, compost and faecal sludge samples, and conducting research on innovative wastewater and sanitation technologies.

In addition to standard equipment, the laboratory is also fitted with: • MPAES for testing heavy metals and nutrients • CNS analyser that provides a ratio of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur content • freeze dryer for safer shipment of samples around the world • particle-size analyser that can detect the smallest particle within a sample. “We work with human excreta and sewage samples from non-sewered sanitation systems, decentralised wastewater treatment plants (including Dewats), and centralised wastewater treatment plants to obtain design and process data,” says Zikalala.

He emphasises that the core function of the laboratory is to assist in finding solutions for people without access to safe sanitation, and for solutions regarding the treatment and disposal of faecal sludge. “We provide a quick turnaround time when delivering results of analyses and are therefore often used by clients in the water and wastewater industry. We also have a small pilot laboratory in Newlands Mashu,” adds Zikalala.

Microwave digester for chemical oxygen demand analysis and metal analysis digestion process

Microwave digester and scrubber Helminth testing

The WASH R&D Centre has one of the few laboratories in the world that conducts environmental helminth testing.

Helminth eggs (and larva) are the infective stages of parasitic worms and pose a risk to human health. They are excreted in the faeces of infected individuals and are thus concentrated in sewage sludge. They provide health and environmental risks to householders, communities and those involved in the toilet-emptying process. Helminth eggs contaminate the soil in areas where sanitation is poor, which aids transmission.

“I became involved with helminth testing in 2005 when a UKZN student wanted to test for helminth eggs in faecal waste from urine diversion (UD) toilets. As opposed to wastewater, UD toilet waste is solid and a more suitable method needed to be developed to process samples, as the USEPA method was unsuitable,” explains Archer.

Together, the student and Archer developed the first version of the helminth testing protocol that has subsequently been modified by Archer and her current PhD student. “We have now created a test method that can be applied to any sample type – from liquid to soil,” she adds.

Due to their hardiness and longevity of Ascaris (a genus of helminths) eggs are used as a marker for the safe reuse of sanitation products. There is a worldwide shortage of these eggs (for use in research) and importing them is difficult, as government is strict about bringing in pathogens.

The Centre has therefore set up a pig farm, where two pigs are moderately infected with Ascaris suum and eggs are excreted in their faeces. These eggs are harvested and used for experimental purposes. “We spike them into test toilets that claim to destroy pathogens on-site so that the faeces can safely be used as soil conditioner. Once eggs pass through the toilet, we retrieve, count and evaluate their viability status, and incubate them to see if larvae develop,” explains Archer.

Alarmingly, she adds, “Many laboratories that conduct helminth tests do so incorrectly. When looking at their lab results, this becomes apparent when they merely report ‘viable helminth eggs present’ without identifying the types of helminth eggs. There are many different organisms that live in the soil and produce eggs that look like pathogens, and when there is no specification, it is safe to assume that eggs (and possibly other artefacts) were simply counted under a microscope.” On-site toilet systems must demonstrate pathogen inactivation to be ISO 30500 accredited, hence the need for an accredited helminth test.

Adult Ascaris worms. Front dish: males at back left, females with coiled tails at the front right

Sieves for sample testing

Pigs maintain the life cycle of Ascaris ISO 30500 and ISO 7025

New sanitation technologies are tested against metrics set down by the ISO 30500 standard for both mechanical functions (e.g. flushing, quantity of water used, amount of waste left in bowl) and chemical testing by the laboratory (e.g. COD, pH, TSS, ammonia reduction, nitrogen reduction and phosphorus reduction). “It is very expensive to do all the tests recommended by ISO 30500. Currently, the Water Research Commission is working on ‘setting a standard within a standard’ – a ‘Mark System’ where it is compiling a list of essential tests that must be passed for the toilet to be given the stamp of approval, indicating that the system is accepted for use,” explains Zikalala.

According to Archer, the laboratories that conduct ISO 30500 testing need to be ISO 17025 accredited. “This is an incredibly costly venture; it’s an intensive procedure and laboratories need to employ more staff due to the huge amount of paperwork that must be produced and maintained.”

Currently, the WASH R&D Centre is working towards ISO 17025 accreditation for its helminth and the total solids tests. There is no other laboratory in Africa accredited for an environmental helminth method. “Our forms have been submitted and we are hoping to be accredited within the first half of 2022,” states Archer.

Faecal sludge testing

The laboratory conducts both standardised tests and well as specific tests developed by the laboratory, which have been published in a book – Methods for Faecal Sludge Analysis.

The testing of faecal sludge is an intricate process. Since standard methods for sampling and analysing faecal sludge do not currently exist, results are not comparable, the actual variability is not yet fully known, and the transfer of knowledge and data between different regions and institutions is challenging and often arbitrary. Due to this lack of standard analytical methods for faecal sludge, methods from other fields – such as wastewater management, and soil and food sciences – are frequently applied. However, these methods are not necessarily the most suitable for faecal sludge analysis and have not been specifically adapted for this purpose. The UKZN WASH R&D Centre has therefore developed test methods best suited to faecal sludge.

“The aim of this book is to provide a basis for the standardisation of faecal sludge methods from on-site sanitation technologies, for improved communication between sanitation practitioners, and for greater confidence in the data generated. The book presents background information on types of faecal sludge, methods for sample collection, health and safety procedures, case studies of experimental design, an approach for estimating faecal sludge at community- to city-wide scales, modelling containment and treatment processes, recipes for simulants, and laboratory methods for faecal sludge analysis currently in use by faecal sludge laboratories,” adds Zikalala.

Training

“We are passionate about developing and teaching people in the water and sanitation field, where they can eventually work in key positions within the sector and use their background, knowledge and passion to improve sanitation,” says Archer.

The laboratory trains local and foreign MSc and PhD students on how to use the laboratory equipment and perform tests, and has assisted in training laboratory staff from many countries, including India, Tanzania, Malawi and Cambodia.

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