Plan International Deutschland e. V.

Bramfelder Strae 70
22305 Hamburg

Tel. 040 61 140 281

Fax 040 61 140 141
presse@plan-deutschland.de
www.plan-deutschland.de

1. Bio-gas toilet
Bio-gas toilets are toilets with septic tanks configured to have a gas collector and displaced water chamber;
and other accessories to produce, store and provide bio-gas for various uses.
The operation is similar to that of a septic tank, but bio-gas is collected in a domed collector and there is a
reservoir for displacement water. The human waste from three families is usually enough to cook one family's
meals. In some designs, there are provisions for adding animal and biodegradable solid waste to increase gas
production.

1.1 Main components of Bio-gas toilet

This kind of toilet mainly consists of squatting, faeces inlet, faeces pipe and biogas reactor (including
fermentation chamber and biogas tank), faeces storage chamber etc. In order to avoid biogas escaping,
sealing in the inside layer of fermentation chamber should be done carefully. A squatting pan is normally
installed. Under the toilet the faeces pipe is connected. The faeces pipe can be bifurcated to have another
inlet which is used for animal excrement dosage.
The waste outlet chamber is mainly for treated excrement sludge. The structures of the chamber can vary
such as pipe, cascade, flat-bottomed etc. It can be designed based on the users demand.The schematic of
structure is shown in the following:

1.2 Starting and operation & maintenance of biogas reactor

(1) Starting of biogas reactor
- For new constructed biogas reactor the air-tightness should be tested prior to operation, and then it can be
fed by excrement materials.
- Fermentation materials addition. Main fermentation materials are human and animal
excrement in biogas reactor. If the excrement is not enough, bio-wastes such as straw, vegetable, grass can
be added after being shredded.
- One week after of starting, biogas can be produced by fermentation. When biogas
pressure is over 1960 Pa (about two bar), biogas facility can be tested and used.
(2) Operation & maintenance of biogas reactor
- After two days of sealing of biogas reactor, excrement and wastewater can be fed into
the chamber.
- To increase the production of biogas, bio-wastes such as stalks, straw, vegetable, grass can be added after
being shredded step by step.
- When raw materials are added to some extent, effluent of the reactor will flow into
effluent storage container.
- The effluent from the reactors is an odourless dark coloured slurry. The primary application of the effluent is
as an agricultural fertilizer. Other applications include as a feed supplement for pigs, mushroom growing
media, fertilizer for fish ponds, worm rearing media (the worms are then fed to chickens), and media for
soaking seeds prior to germination.
-The effluent from the reactors can be taken from effluent storage container according to the demand. But the
cover of anaerobic reactor is not allowed to be opened to take the fertilizer.
(3) Waste removal
After some period of operation, clean-out of the reactor is required to remove the reactor crust as well as
accumulated sludge. Normally it will be done annually. If the primary feed materials are animal and human
wastes, no crust accumulates, the required time for clean-out could be longer. Before anyone goes into the
reactor for clean-out, they must ensure that all the biogas is already removed and there is enough oxygen.
After cleaning, 20% of waste liquids should be left for inoculation.

1.3 Advantages of Bio-gas toilet

The Bio-gas toilet can reduce disease transfer by faeces and reduce the environmental pollution because of
direct discharge of excrements. The biogas and fertilizer produced can be used in order for the households to
realize maximum profits of energy, sanitation and economy.