Whats the problem with urine in wastewater?
While urine accounts for less than 1% of total wastewater volume, it contains 50–80% of all the nutrients in wastewater. Many micropollutants, i.e. residues of pharmaceuticals and hormones from human metabolism, also enter wastewater via urine. On average, for all medicines and hormones ingested, 60–70% of the active ingredient is excreted in the urine. 85-90% of the nitrogen and 50-80% of the phosphorus are concentrated in the urine. These nutrients are desirable in agriculture, but not in waterbodies. It may therefore make sense to separate urine from wastewater and use it for fertilizer production. For more information on this research, see the EAWAG press release. *** We would like to thank the following generous and amazing people for helping us make this project possible: Maria Jarkowiec- Maria is a brilliant med student and former chef who was the perfect person to help us translate laboratory procedures loosely described in dense scientific papers into a clear, precise lab manu
