Human urine could replace a quarter of the commercial fertiliser currently
used for food crop production, estimates A+ Science of Gothenburg, Sweden. But
health authorities worry about hygiene. The company has tested a system which
purifies human urine by removing all traces of solid excrement. The urine is
cooled until half is frozen. The remaining liquid, which contains most of the
nutrients, is then mixed with magnesium oxide to precipitate crystals of
magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate—known as struvite—which can
be used as a crop fertiliser.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Feeding our books into generative AI risks creating a cultural void
91É«Ç鯬
Technology
Quantum computing may be facing a replication crisis
News
Technology
Rogue hacking AIs have changed the cybersecurity landscape
News
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles