Comparing Microbial Die-Off in Separately Collected Faeces with Ash and Sawdust Additives

The impacts of wood ash and sawdust on pathogen die-off were investigated. High pH, low moisture content and high chamber temperatures were some of the chamber conditions, known to enhance pathogen die-off in faecal matter. Temperature was measured in situ with a digital thermometer. The collected samples were also analyzed for faecal indicators. The moisture content of the sawdust was much higher (more than 20 times) than that of the ash. The results showed that the high organic matter (OM) content in the sawdust (about 98%) compared to the 2% in the ash implied that the potential for decomposition was high for the sawdust during the sanitization process.