David Collett graduate diploma research

cantarch.com/media/research.pdf  full document.

This report investigates the feasibility of using human urine as the base for a hydroponic nutrient solution. This is proposed with the intention of decentralising waste management and food production.

Urine is a waste product containing most of the nitrogen excreted from the body. This nitrogen is potentially valuable as fertilizer and potentially harmful when flushed into the sewage treatment system or discarded without treatment.

The aim is to make hydroponic technology viable at the level of the house or neighbourhood without the use of proprietary nutrient solutions and to reduce environmental impact of the nitrogen cycle.

Links

www.home.aone.net.au/~hydroponics/index.html

general explanation of hydroponics and instructions for a home-built system.

www.instructables.com/id/Vegan-Spinach-Pie%2c-or-How-To-Turn-Your-Urine-into-/

art project using urine in hydroponic solution

www.holon.se/folke/projects/vatpark/Septoa_en.shtml

urine separating toilets

www.n55.dk/MANUALS/HOME_HYDRO/HOME_HYDRO.html

a more slick household hydroponic system.

The project is not yet conclusive; in principle it is possible to collect urine "at source" and process it to a hydroponic nutrient solution. The questions that remain are how to build an effective biofilter* and whether its size, price and energy consumption would be acceptable.

* A tank that contains favourable conditions for nitrifying bacteria to process nitrogen sources in the urine to a form that is available to plants.