Pooping in the Dry Valleys

Pooping in the Dry Valleys is a topic that no one talks about, so I will because there are two very important issues with human waste for remote camps in Antarctica: 1) Health and 2) Environmental Protection.  I'll start with some background, discuss the importance of hygiene, and follow up with environmental issues.  The last section includes what I'll bring this year as my emergency "shit kit" and how to use it.  I'd appreciate any suggestions for improving the kit or the procedures!

Tyler's image of our Lake Joyce Toilet Tent in 2010 (from his blog).  The black barrel with the funnel is for "grey water", e.g. pee, dish water, etc.  Some tall men can go directly into the funnel - I've accidently walked "in" on them doing it.  Note that there is a vinyl berm below the barrels to catch any drops that miss from the waste barrels or refueling the generator (red).  Everything is strapped down to keep the wind from blowing things over.  The gray bottles on the right are propane to run the heaters.

Background

For camps in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, a "toilet" tent is set up as a site to collect human waste. There is a bucket with a toilet seat on it to sit on and poop.  Toilet paper is handy, and used toilet paper can be put into the bucket.  The tent protects you from the wind.  The cold keeps the bucket from smelling very much.  There are two important issues, though:

1) One should not pee in the bucket.  Peeing adds water and weight, increases microbial activity, and wastes bucket space.  Thus, one needs to pee in a bottle rather than into the bucket.

2) Once the bucket gets close to full, someone has to volunteer to put a spill proof lid on it VERY CAREFULLY and VERY SECURELY.  Then a new bucket is installed.

Overall, this is an excellent system considering the circumstances.  It's very similar to the use of "groovers" by Grand Canyon rafters.  The Antarctic poo buckets are labeled as human waste, flown to Marble Point (a nearby staging area and refueling station for helicopters), held there until the fall cargo ship arrives, loaded on the ship, and taken back to the US for disposal.  There are stories that mixed poop and pee in an enclosed container in warm climates can explode (it's warm crossing the equator...), but I think these are myths.  This is not something I actually want to know.

Pee disposal is different.  It is poured from bottles (or deposited directly) into an old 55 gallon fuel drum, and flown back to McMurdo, where it is treated, and the water is released with the rest of the treated sewage into the ocean.

Hygiene

Good hygiene is very important everywhere.  However, it is particularly important in a remote camp where water is limited, many of the activities are communal, and help is expensive and time consuming to get.  Many bad health problems are transferred from poop to hands to mouth, or poop to hands to other objects to other hands to mouth.  

This form of contamination is actually easy to prevent by thoroughly cleaning ones hands after pooping.  In the Dry Valleys, the toilet tents should always be stocked with plenty of alcohol-based hand cleaner (Purell).  After shitting and wiping, it is good practice to immediately clean your hands with hand cleaner and wipe a bit extra over the bottle where you touched it.  If you then do other things such as adjust the toilet seat, change the bucket, etc., it is good to use a bit more Purell.  And then before you cook, fill your water bottle from the thermos, wash dishes, eat, etc., it is always good to use more Purell.  Preventing illness is so much better than skimping on the Purell use.

Environmental Issues

Human waste, both pee and poop, contains abundant nutrients.  The ecosystems in the McMurdo Dry Valleys - and in most of Antarctica - are nutrient limited.  An influx of nutrients from human waste can lead to blooms of microbes.  Interestingly, the harsh environmental conditions, particularly the cold temperatures, tend to kill off many of the bacteria in our waste - except those that form spores (see this article pdf).  The spore-forming bacteria aren't very active unless they encounter warm conditions.  Thus, they don't proliferate in the local environment, but they can if ingested into a warm body.  In any case, the biggest environmental concern from human waste is the introduction of nutrients into Dry Valley ecosystems.

If you are in camp and can use the toilet tent, there is no problem.  Your solid nutrients get sent back to the US, and your liquid ones go into the ocean, which is not nutrient limited.  However, say you are away from camp for a long day and can't wait to poop until you get back.  Or, heaven forbid, one of your camp members did not sufficiently worship the Purell bottle, and you've gained some gastrointestinal species that are wreaking havoc in your intestine.  Or maybe the helo pilots brought some fresh fruit treats, and you over indulged...  In any case, there may be a time when you have to shit, and there is no bucket nearby.  What do you do?

Mountaineers face this problem on popular mountains like Mt. Rainier.  There are so many people, the trail would be paved with shit if people didn't pack it out.  In the past, there were various solid waste management kits that included a piece of paper you put on the ground with a target on it.  You did your best to hit the target. You folded it up and put it in a double sealing bag.  Things have simplified as more and more people realize what dog owners understand: it's way easier just to ignore any squeamish qualms, put your hand inside a bag, pick up the poop through the bag, invert the bag around the poop, and seal it well.  (And use Purell.)  This is the system that the National Park Service provides for hikers on Mt. Rainier.  For Mt. Rainier, they recommend shitting on snow so you can pick it all up easily.  In the Dry Valleys, you could go on snow if there's some handy.  Sand might be okay if you made sure you picked it all up.  Alternatively, you could include a piece of paper or paper towel to go on, and scoop that up into the bag as well.  It really isn't all that bad if you "just do it" and don't think about it.

Emergency Shit Kit

Stuff sack to contain everything

Paper towels to poop on if there isn't snow around

Toilet paper

Quart-sized zip-lock bags

Gallon-sized zip-lock bags

Paper bags

Purell

Instructions: 

Find a spot out of the wind if possible

Weight down the paper towel with rocks so it stays in place

Do your business

Wipe and put the toilet paper directly into a quart-sized zip-lock bag

Cover back up

Invert a gallon-sized zip-lock bag and put your hand in it

Pick up your shit and the snow or paper towel it is touching

Invert the bag carefully, keeping the zip closure clean

Put the quart-sized bag into the gallon sized bag.

Securely close the gallon-sized bag, removing extra air

Put it into a second gallon-sized bag, and close securely

Place everything into a paper bag if you don't want to see it ever again

Use Purell

Put everything back into the stuff sack

Back in camp, put the paper bag into the toilet bucket.  Please don't forget.

Use Purell

Feel free to provide improved suggestions!!!!