สำนักงานราชบัณฑิตยสภา

ส้วมยุคใหม่และประเด็ นด้านเทคโนโลยี สุขภาพ และสิ่ งแวดล้อม 96 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 39 No. 2 April-June 2014 Abstract New Generation Toilet for Health and Environmental Improvement Chongrak Polprasert Associate Fellow of the Academy of Science, The Royal Institute, Thailand Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University Atitaya Panuvatvanich Asian Institute of Technology Nawach surinkul Asian Institute of Technology Thammarat Kuttathep Asian Institute of Technology At present about 1.74 billion people in Asia and the Pacific continue to live without access to improved sanitation while more than 792 million people still suffer the indignity of practicing open defecation. This poor sanitation has caused adverse impacts leading to diseases and premature death, polluted water resources, time loss from daily activities, degraded environment, and lost opportunities for use of human excreta for energy or fertilizer production. Diarrheal diseases are caused mainly by the ingestion of pathogens in water or food. About 88% of all diarrhea cases worldwide have been attributed to lack of adequate access to water and sanitation. Most of septic and/or cesspool systems currently in use do not function well because of unknown lifespan, poor design and construction leading to the system leakage, overloading and flooding, and poor maintenance. Thus, there is a need for new generation toilets system, an approach towards decentralized or non-sewer sanitation which can solve the current sanitation problems and minimizing health risks. The novel approaches to the design of new generation toilets at an affordable cost which can produce biogas, electricity or biochar have potentials to bring benefits to the poor communities. It will result in ceasing of open defecation, thereby, reducing the health risks and bringing up the social welfare status of the poor. Indirectly, investment on sewer construction can be saved and increased food security for the poor could be achieved, thereby contributing to poverty alleviation. Keywords: cesspool, septic tank, sanitation