– The Bottom Line –
You've heard the stupid saying; "Better pissed off than pissed on" Well maybe not!
A new study published by researchers at University of West England, Bristol, states that urine is full of chemicals that can be used to generate electricity and with each flush could be draining valuable energy.
OK, Is this filed under Humor or Current News? I'm tempted to list it on the Rod Serling’s America Page! The late night comedians are going to have a field day with this one!
But this is not only serious, it's technology that maybe just around the corner..
Could Urine Soon Power Your Home?
Posted on November 11, 2011 by Liz Klimas
The Guardian reports that collectively the human race produces 6.4 trillion liters of urine per day and farm animals, 38 billion liters per day. Ioannis Ieropoulos and his colleagues conducted research examining the technique of using microbial fuel cells powered by urine and found that it worked:
The initial tests confirmed that urine-powered fuel cells are technically feasible, and the team now hopes to scale up a prototype system capable of powering homes, businesses or even a small village. ….
In a 2008 study, researchers at the Biodesign Institute were able to create a microbial fuel cell. Bacteria have evolved to utilize almost any chemical as a food source. In the microbial fuel cell, bacteria form a biofilm, a living community that is attached to the electrode by a sticky sugar and protein coated biofilm matrix. When grown without oxygen, the byproducts of bacterial metabolism of waste include carbon dioxide, electrons and hydrogen ions. Electrons produced by the bacteria are shuttled onto the electrode by the biofilm matrix, creating a thriving ecosystem called the biofilm anode and generating electricity. (Image: Janelle Curtis, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University)
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