[cbmuser]

They have used human feces in North Korea to fertilize their fields with the effect that people got worm parasites:

> https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/16/body-of-north-korean-defecto...

Also, human feces can contain anti-biotics and other stuff that you shouldn’t be spreading over soil. There is a reason why hospital waste water gets special treatment before disposed of into the sewers.

I don’t think using human feces as fertilizers is a good idea.

[kmarc]

It is, at least where I am coming from, well-known that raw human feces must not be used for fertilizing soil; However, composted (long enough / on high temperature) would break down the pathogens that are bad for humans.

See more on wikipedia about fertilization using human feces [1] and in general, applications of composting toilets [2].

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_feces#Use_as_fertilizer

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting_toilet#Applications

[jhbadger]

When my father was stationed (in the US Army) in South Korea in the early 1960s, human "nightsoil" was the primary fertilizer there as well. It's an obvious source of cheap fertilizer, even if it has some health drawbacks. Obviously the economic success of the South has allowed it to not do that anymore.