For other uses, see Sanitization (classified information). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. Its introduction may be too long. Tagged since November 2009. It may need copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. Tagged since November 2009. It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since November 2009. E. Coli bacteria under magnification Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic wastewater (sewage, sullage, greywater), industrial wastes, and agricultural wastes. Hygienic means of prevention can be by using engineering solutions (e.g. sewerage and wastewater treatment), simple technologies (e.g. latrines, septic tanks), or even by personal hygiene practices (e.g. simple handwashing with soap). The World Health Organization states that: "Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal.1 The term "sanitation" can be applied to a specific aspect, concept, location, or strategy, such as: Basic sanitation - refers to the management of human feces at the household level. This terminology is the indicator used to describe the target of the Millennium Development Goal on sanitation. On-site sanitation - the collection and treatment of waste is done where it is deposited. Examples are the use of pit latrines, septic tanks, and imhoff tanks. Food sanitation - refers to the hygienic measures for ensuring food safety. Environmental sanitation - the control of environmental factors that form links in disease transmission. Subsets of this category are solid waste management, water and wastewater treatment, industrial waste treatment and noise and pollution control. Ecological sanitation - a concept and an approach of recycling to nature the nutrients from human and animal wastes. Contents 1 History 2 Wastewater sanitation 2.1 Wastewater collection 2.2 Wastewater treatment 2.2.1 Reuse of wastewater 2.3 Ecological sanitation 2.4 Sanitation and public health 2.5 Global access to improved sanitation 3 Solid waste disposal 4 Sanitation in the developing world 5 Sanitation in the food industry 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History Further information: History of water supply and sanitation

The earliest evidence of urban sanitation was seen in Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and the recently discovered Rakhigarhi of Indus Valley civilization. This urban plan included the world's first urban sanitation systems. Within the city, individual homes or groups of homes obtained water from wells. From a room that appears to have been set aside for bathing, waste water was directed to covered drains, which lined the major streets. Houses opened only to inner courtyards and smaller pole. Roman cities and Roman villas had elements of sanitation systems, delivering water in the streets of towns such as Pompeii, and building stone and wooden drains to collect and remove wastewater from populated areas - see for instance the Cloaca Maxima into the River Tiber in Rome. But there is little record of other sanitation in most of Europe until the High Middle Ages. Unsanitary conditions and overcrowding were widespread throughout Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages, resulting periodically in cataclysmic pandemics such as the Plague of Justinian (541-42) and the Black Death (1347–1351), which killed tens of millions of people and radically altered societies.2 Very high infant and child mortality prevailed in Europe throughout medieval times, due not only to deficiencies in sanitation but to insufficient food for a population which had expanded faster than agriculture.3 This was further complicated by frequent warfare and exploitation of civilians by brutal rulers. Life for the average person at this time was indeed 'nasty, brutish and short. The word Sanitation is also now used in pop culture. It is used as a substitution of "yo" and means a smelly person. Wastewater sanitation Wastewater collection For more details on this topic, see Wastewater. The standard sanitation technology in urban areas is the collection of wastewater in sewers, its treatment in wastewater treatment plants for reuse or disposal in rivers, lakes or the sea. Sewers are either combined with storm drains or separated from them as sanitary sewers. Combined sewers are usually found in the central, older parts or urban areas. Heavy rainfall and inadequate maintenance can lead to combined sewer overflows or sanitary sewer overflows, i.e. more or less diluted raw sewage being discharged into the environment. Industries often discharge wastewater into municipal sewers, which can complicate wastewater treatment unless industries pre-treat their discharges.4

The high investment cost of conventional wastewater collection systems are difficult to afford for many developing countries. Some countries have therefore promoted alternative wastewater collection systems such as condominial sewerage, which uses smaller diameter pipes at lower depth with different network layouts from conventional sewerage. Wastewater treatment For more details on this topic, see Sewage treatment. Sewage treatment plant, Australia. In developed countries treatment of municipal wastewater is now widespread,5 but not yet universal (for an overview of technologies see wastewater treatment). In developing countries most wastewater is still discharged untreated into the environment. For example, in Latin America only about 15% of collected sewerage is being treated (see water and sanitation in Latin America) Reuse of wastewater The reuse of untreated wastewater in irrigated agriculture is common in developing countries. The reuse of treated wastewater in landscaping (esp. on golf courses), irrigated agriculture and for industrial use is becoming increasingly widespread. In many peri-urban and rural areas households are not connected to sewers. They discharge their wastewater into septic tanks or other types of on-site sanitation. Ecological sanitation For more details on this topic, see Ecological sanitation. Ecological sanitation is sometimes presented as a radical alternative to conventional sanitation systems. Ecological sanitation is based on composting or vermicomposting toilets where an extra separation of urine and feces at the source for sanitization and recycling has been done. It thus eliminates the creation of blackwater and eliminates fecal pathogens from any still present wastewater (urine). If ecological sanitation is practiced municipal wastewater consists only of greywater, which can be recycled for gardening. However, in most cases greywater continues to be discharged to sewers. Sanitation and public health The importance of waste isolation lies in an effort to prevent water and sanitation related diseases, which afflicts both developed countries as well as developing countries to differing degrees. It is estimated that up to 5 million people die each year from preventable water-borne disease,6 as a result of inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices. The affects of sanitation have also had a large impact on society. Published in Griffins Public Sanitation proven studies show that higher sanitation produces more attractiveness. Global access to improved sanitation

The Joint Monitoring Program for water and sanitation of WHO and UNICEF has defined improved sanitation as connection to a public sewer connection to a septic system pour-flush latrine simple pit latrine ventilated improved pit latrine 7 According to that definition, 62% of the world's population has access to improved sanitation in 2008, up 8% since 1990. [1] Only slightly more than half of them or 31% of the world population lived in houses connected to a sewer. Overall, 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and thus must resort to open defecation or other unsanitary forms of defecation, such as public latrines or open pit latrines.8 This includes 1.2 billion people who have access to no facilities at all.9 This outcome presents substantial public health risks as the waste could contaminate drinking water and cause life threatening forms of diarrhea to infants. Improved sanitation, including hand washing and water purification, could save the lives of 1.5 million children who suffer from diarrheal diseases each year.9 In developed countries, where less than 20% of the world population lives, 99% of the population has access to improved sanitation and 81% were connected to sewers. Solid waste disposal For more details on this topic, see Waste management. Hiriya Landfill, Israel. Disposal of solid waste is most commonly conducted in landfills, but incineration, recycling, composting and conversion to biofuels are also avenues. In the case of landfills, advanced countries typically have rigid protocols for daily cover with topsoil, where underdeveloped countries customarily rely upon less stringent protocols.10 The importance of daily cover lies in the reduction of vector contact and spreading of pathogens. Daily cover also minimises odor emissions and reduces windblown litter. Likewise, developed countries typically have requirements for perimeter sealing of the landfill with clay-type soils to minimize migration of leachate that could contaminate groundwater (and hence jeopardize some drinking water supplies).

For incineration options, the release of air pollutants, including certain toxic components is an attendant adverse outcome. Recycling and biofuel conversion are the sustainable options that generally have superior life cycle costs, particularly when total ecological consequences are considered.11 Composting value will ultimately be limited by the market demand for compost product. Sanitation in the developing world The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) include a target to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015. In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 'The International Year of Sanitation', in recognition of the slow progress being made towards the MDGs sanitation target.12 The year aims to develop awareness and action to meet the target. Particular concerns are: Removing the stigma around sanitation, so that the importance of sanitation can be more easily and publicly discussed. Highlighting the poverty reduction, health and other benefits that flow from better hygiene, household sanitation arrangements and wastewater treatment. Research from the Overseas Development Institute suggests that sanitation and hygiene promotion needs to be better 'mainstreamed' in development, if the MDG on sanitation is to be met. At present, promotion of sanitation and hygiene is mainly carried out through water institutions. The research argues that there are, in fact, many institutions that should carry out activities to develop better sanitation and hygiene in developing countries. For example, educational institutions can teach on hygiene, and health institutions can dedicate resources to preventative works (to avoid, for example, outbreaks of cholera).13 The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) coordinated research programme on Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is a radically different approach to rural sanitation in developing countries and has shown promising successes where traditional rural sanitation programmes have failed. CLTS is an unsubsidized approach to rural sanitation that facilitates communities to recognize the problem of open defecation and take collective action to clean up and become ‘open defecation free’. It uses community-led methods such as participatory mapping and analysing pathways between feces and mouth as a means of galvanizing communities into action. An IDS 'In Focus' Policy Brief suggests that in many countries the Millennium development goal for sanitation is off track and asks how CLTS can be adopted and spread on a large scale in the many countries and regions where open defecation still prevails.14 Sanitation in the food industry Modern restaurant food preparation area.

Sanitation within the food industry means to the adequate treatment of food-contact surfaces by a process that is effective in destroying vegetative cells of microorganisms of public health significance, and in substantially reducing numbers of other undesirable microorganisms, but without adversely affecting the product or its safety for the consumer (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations, 21CFR110, USA). Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures are indispensable for food industries in US, which are regulated by 9 CFR part 416 in conjunction with 21 CFR part 178.1010. Similaly in Japan, food hygiene has to be reached through the compliance of Food Sanitation Law.15 Additionally, in the food and Biopharmaceutical industries, the term sanitary equipment means equipment that is fully cleanable using Clean-in-place (CIP), and Sterilization in place (SIP) procedures: that is fully drainable from cleaning solutions and other liquids. The design should have a minimum amount of deadleg16 or areas where the turbulence during cleaning is not enough to remove product deposits. In general, to improve cleanability, this equipment is made from Stainless Steel 316L, (an alloy containing small amounts of molybdenum). The surface is usually electropolished to an effective surface roughness of less than 0.5 micrometre, to reduce the possibility of bacterial adhesion to the surface. See also Disinfectant International sanitary conferences Lifewater International Micro credit for water supply and sanitation National Sanitation Foundation Sewage collection and disposal Trap (plumbing) Water and sanitation program Water crisis Water pollution Water supply Water supply and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa World Plumbing Council World Toilet Organization References ^ http://www.who.int/topics/sanitation/en/ ^ Carlo M. Cipolla, Before the Industrial Revolution: European Society and Economy 1000-1700, W.W. Norton and Company, London (1980) ISBN 0-393-95115-4 ^ Burnett White, Natural History of Infectious Diseases ^ Environmental Biotechnology: Advancement in Water And Wastewater Application, edited by Z. Ujang, IWA Proceedings, Malaysia (2003) ^ Typical U.S. water treatment standards ^ Pacific Institute ^ The Joint Monitoring Programme of WHO and UNICEF:definitions ^ Sanitation and drinking water: is the world on track? Circle of Blue, July 31, 2008 ^ a b World Health Organization and UNICEF. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on Sanitation. ^ George Tchobanoglous and Frank Kreith Handbook of Solid Waste Management, McGraw Hill (2002) ^ William D. Robinson, The Solid Waste Handbook: A Practical Guide, John Wiley and sons (1986) ^ "Peri-urban Water and Sanitation Services". Springer. 2010. http://www.springer.com/978-90-481-9424-7.  ^ "Sanitation and Hygiene: knocking on new doors" (PDF). Overseas Development Institute. 2006. http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=48&title=sanitation-hygiene-knocking-doors. Retrieved 2007.  ^ 'Beyond Subsidies - Triggering a Revolution in Rural Sanitation' Institute of Development Studies (IDS) In Focus Policy Brief 10 July 2009. ^ Japan External Trade Organization. "Food Sanitation Law in Japan" (PDF). http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/market/regulations/pdf/food-e.pdf. Retrieved 1 March 2008.  ^ Treatment of deadleg plumbing areas External links Look up sanitation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Urban Wastewater Treatment in France, MEEDDM IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, the Hague, the Netherlands [2] Sanitation, Hygiene and Wastewater Resource Guide (World Bank) Tilley et al.: Compendium of Sanitation Systems and Technologies, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council / Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), 2008 Central Asia Health Review (CAHR). Poor Sanitation Causes Death among Children under Five in Afghanistan The 2006 UNDP Human Development Report: Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis - Chapter 3: The vast deficit in sanitation accessed on August 22, 2007 Water Supply and Sanitation, World Bank accessed on August 22, 2007 Early urban sanitation in ancient India Sanitation coverage vs. population growth: an encouraging trend Daily cover in landfills Hy2U innovative handwashing device and campaign Your Health in Your Hands UNICEF Documentary narrated by Khaled Abol Naga Poo Productions, music and film organization raising awareness about sanitation issues Akvo.org - The open source for water and sanitation, including the Akvopedia, water and sanitation wiki Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) India's National Level portal on Sanitation Google - public data "Improved sanitation facilities, urban (% of urban population with access)" v · d · ePublic health General Auxology • Biological hazard • Chief Medical Officer • Environmental health • Globalization and disease • Health economics • Sociology of health and illness • Medical sociology • Social psychology • Deviance (sociology) • Sociology of health and illness • Medical anthropology • Health literacy • Health policy (Health care system • Healthcare reform • Public health law) • Maternal health • Mental health • Pharmaceutical policy • Public health genomics • Public health laboratory • Reproductive health • Tropical disease Preventive medicine Health promotion • Family planning • Human nutrition • Hygiene (Hand washing • Food safety • Infection control • Oral hygiene) • Occupational safety and health (Occupational hygiene • Ergonomics • Injury prevention) • Patient safety (organization) • Pharmacovigilance • Safe sex • Sanitation (Community-led total sanitation • Sanitary sewer • Waterborne diseases • Water management) • Smoking cessation • Vaccination • Vector control Population health Community health • Global health • Biostatistics • Epidemiology • Health impact assessment • Health system • Public health informatics • Health software (Epi Info • OpenEpi) • Social medicine • Social determinants of health (Health equity • Race and health)  Organizations, Education and History Health impact assessment • Agencies and organizations World Health Organization • European (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control • Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) • India (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) • U.S. (U.S. Public Health Service (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) • Public Health - Center for Public Health Practice • Center for Minority Health • Council on Education for Public Health • Public Health – Seattle & King County) • World Toilet Organization • Globalization and Health Education Health education • Bachelor of Science in Public Health • Master of Public Health • Doctor of Public Health • European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) • Professional Further Education in Clinical Pharmacy and Public Health History Sara Josephine Baker • Samuel Jay Crumbine • Carl Rogers Darnall • Joseph Lister • Margaret Sanger • John Snow • "Typhoid Mary" • Germ theory of disease • Social hygiene movement