Chemical toilet

A chemical toilet

A chemical toilet is a toilet which uses chemicals to deodorize the waste instead of simply storing it in a hole, or piping it away to a sewage treatment plant. Common types include aircraft lavatory, some passenger train toilets and the portable toilets used on construction sites and at large gatherings. They can normally be identified with a blue-colored dye in the bowl water. In the Americas and Europe this blue liquid formula is generally called "Anotec" filled with black chemical liquid. An even simpler chemical toilet consists of a seat on a container or bucket of water, with a solution of chemicals used to disinfect and/or deodorize. These are sometimes found on inter-city buses or in homes where indoor plumbing is not available. Portable toilets are universally chemical toilets.

Disinfection was generally carried out by mixing formaldehyde, bleach or similar chemicals with the toilet water when flushed. Modern formulations are nitrate based and work biologically.

Chemical toilets are often used on construction sites and at outdoor gatherings such as music festivals, and in caravans.

Since formaldehyde is very irritating to the eyes, ears, skin, nose, and throat, it is being replaced by other proprietary blends such as glutaraldehyde^[1] and quaternary ammonium compounds,^[2] with non-staining dyes and nature-identical perfume oils. Additionally, enzyme hybrids are sometimes used.

See also

• Clivus
• Composting toilet
• Dunny
• Ecological sanitation
• Feces
• Flush toilet
• Honey bucket
• Hudo
• Human feces
• Humanure
• Latrine
• Outhouse
• Pay toilets
• Pissoir (definition)
• Portable toilet
• Sanisette
• Sanitation
• Space toilet
• Toilet
• Toilet history
• Toilet paper

References

1. ^ Australian government information on glutaraldehyde
2. ^ Quaternary ammonium compounds