Sustainable Urine Processes Through Integration of Education and Research (SUPER)

Treavor H. Boyer
Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida

[Replay not available]

Abstract

The current approach to wastewater management wastes valuable resources – potable water, fertilizer quality nutrients, and energy, while at the same time pollutes the biosphere with excess nutrients, contaminants of emerging concern, and greenhouse gases. The current failure of wastewater management is attributable to combining disparate waste streams (e.g., greywater, feces, and urine) and a ‘one size fits all’ approach to treatment. Of the waste streams that make up wastewater, urine accounts for approximately 1% of wastewater by volume yet urine contributes greater than 50% by mass of the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pharmaceuticals to wastewater. As a result, urine source separation and treatment has been proposed as a sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater management because it has the potential to conserve water and energy, recover nutrients for beneficial use, and protect ecological and human health from pharmaceutical contaminants. Despite the promises of urine separation and treatment, it has not been widely implemented because of an absence of engineering strategies that are efficient in contaminant removal, practical to implement, and acceptable to society.

This presentation will highlight ongoing work in our group that seeks to advance both basic understanding and practical implementation of urine source separation. Topics and data for discussion will include improving the function of waterless urinals, selective recovery of nutrients from urine, separation of pharmaceuticals from urine, urine as fertilizer for turfgrass, strategies for collecting urine from buildings and sporting venues, and thoughts on the future of urine separation.