Credit: Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock “Sanitation: A Global
Estimate of Sewerage Connections without Treatment and the
Resulting Impact on MDG Progress” Environmental Science &
Technology It may be the 21st century, with all its
technological marvels, but 6 out of every 10 people on Earth
still do not have access to flush toilets or other adequate
sanitation that protects the user and the surrounding community
from harmful health effects, a new study has found. The
research, published in ACS’ journal Environmental Science &
Technology, says the number of people without access to improved
sanitation is almost double the previous estimate. Jamie Bartram
and colleagues explain that the current definition of “improved
sanitation” focuses on separating humans from human excrement,
but does not include treating that sewage or other measures to
prevent it from contaminating rivers, lakes and oceans. Using
that definition, 2010 United Nations estimates concluded that
4.3 billion people had access to improved sanitatio