Researchers have found a new way to use human urine to make fertilizer for agricultural crops.
Their discovery is significant because it can better utilize wastewater in cities and on farms without contributing to the planet's overheating.
As NewScientist reported, researchers at Henan University in Kaifeng, China, added oxygen from the air and a graphite catalyst to urine to create nitrogen-rich percarbamide. This process could replace the traditional method, which is cumbersome and results in low purity.
The new process produces zero waste and only requires a few steps to complete. It is a more efficient, less polluting, and less energy-intensive way to extract fertilizer from human urine to grow crops.
The research team used thin, modified graphite sheets on an electrode before adding them to a concentrated urine solution. They found it easy to separate solid percarbamide crystals from the solution, which they can use for fertilizer.
Testing proved their fertilizer helped grow peanuts, lettuce, and wheat better than standard urine-based fertilizer or just water. The researchers believe this growth can be attributed to percarbamide's ability to release oxygen steadily and control soil nitrogen levels.
Alternative methods for crop fertilization can improve plant yields and quality while also enhancing soil quality. There are many promising alternatives to synthetic, chemical fertilizers that are environmentally damaging and expensive for farmers.
Another example involves incorporating rock dust into agricultural practices to absorb harmful carbon pollution and increase crop productivity.
Meanwhile, you can use eggshells to fertilize plants at home and buy produce grown with only organic fertilizers to support sustainable development and reduce your chemical exposure.
Reducing our farms' reliance on synthetic fertilizers can create more sustainable agroecosystems and promote the long-term productivity of crops. Finding viable uses for waste, such as human urine, can transform food-growing systems as we strive for global food security.
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Not enough time ⏳ Industry experts are hopeful that this new urine fertilizer approach can be used for various chemical processes. However, they anticipate challenges with scaling it up to city-wide wastewater treatment systems.
The University of Sheffield's James McGregor said, "I would be surprised if we were sitting here in 10 years' time and this was a major industrial process, but it potentially has applications for decentralized, local, small-scale production, probably particularly in agricultural settings."
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