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

The nutrients in urine can cause overgrowth of aquatic plants in lakes, rivers, and streams. When they die and decompose, they use up oxygen in the water, which suffocates other aquatic, life such as fish. This is called hypoxia When it gets into drinking water supplies, nitrogen can result in such diseases as methemoglobinemia or… Continue Reading