Black Soldier Fly research seeks new value in latrine sludge

Researcher Ian Banks (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) is based in WaterSHED’s Cambodia lab where he is investigating how the larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) consume pit latrine waste, and the effects they have on the waste’s physical, chemical and microbial properties.

We want to know how much ‘food’ (latrine sludge) can be transformed into a valuable product, namely the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) prepupae. These can be processed into high-protein animal feed or biofuel. When we have the results in early 2012, we’ll feed these into our innovation process to explore how we can harness the power of BSF larvae in improving sanitation.