Worms turn human waste into compost, but parasitic eggs can survive the process

Tiger worm toilets are designed to turn human waste into vermicompost using worms that feed on and break down organic material. The approach can reduce the amount of waste that builds up in a toilet and has been studied as a form of non-sewered sanitation. Researchers tested whether tiger worms could destroy Ascaris eggs under conditions designed to replicate a tiger worm toilet. The research, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry titled ‘Experimental evaluation of Ascaris egg survival during vermicomposting of faeces,’ found that the eggs remained intact and viable even after prolonged exposure to the worms. The researchers used pig faeces containing a known concentration of Ascaris suum eggs and monitored what happened inside laboratory-scale biodigesters. Some eggs were found in the vermicompost, while others moved into the coir, gravel and effluent.How researchers tested tiger worms and Ascaris eggs in faecal wasteThe researchers wanted to determine whether tiger worms could degrade or inactivate Ascaris eggs while processing faecal material. To test this, they built six laboratory-scale biodigesters containing Eisenia fetida, commonly known as tiger worms. Three identica...