Many individuals and communities worldwide are diverting and using urine for several reasons In wastewater, urine accounts for most of the nutrients — as much as 90 percent of the nitrogen and potassium. These nutrients can get into groundwater and lakes, rivers, and streams where they can pollute by over-fertilizing aquatic plants. The nitrogen in… Continue Reading
Urine has had a bad rap in many cultures due to its association with the smell and disease-causing nature of feces, according to Jan-Olof Drangert of the University of Linkoping in Sweden. In his paper, “Perceptions, Urine Blindness and Urban Agriculture,” Drangert reports that this has not always been the case; throughout history, urine has… Continue Reading
Remember that the carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio of urine (8:1) is too low for microbes to use and fully break down into a plant-usable form. To preserve all the fertilizer value of urine, a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 25:1 is needed to convert all the nitrogen to nitrates by aerobic soil bacteria. (Again, nitrate is the form… Continue Reading
The 155.8 gal (589.77 liters) of urine produced by one person in a year is a significant load for any composting toilet system to manage, so dealing with it separately offers some advantages. Draining it for immediate use is the most direct solution. Consider the following for one person: To evaporate one gallon would require… Continue Reading
In one year, the average northern European adult produces 116 gal (439.11 l) of urine. Many studies give the average daily nitrogen output for a healthy adult at about 11 grams That figure ranges widely, mostly depending upon diet. The more plant or animal protein the population consumes the more nitrogen it excretes. Two Swedish… Continue Reading
