Astronauts' pee to get recycled into clean water
Washington: In between the news about water on Mars, clues of life on Jupiter or new stars being formed at our galaxy's edge, there is a less glamorous side of space exploration: what to do
The researchers collected urine and shower wastewater and processed it using forward osmosis - a way to filter contaminants from urea - a major component of urine, and water.
Their new Urea Bioreactor Electrochemical system (UBE) efficiently converted the urea into ammonia in its bioreactor, and then turned the ammonia into energy with its fuel cell.
"The system was designed with space missions in mind, but the results showed that the UBE system could be used in any wastewater treatment systems containing urea and/or ammonia," Nicolau said in a report that appeared in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
Their new Urea Bioreactor Electrochemical system (UBE) efficiently converted the urea into ammonia in its bioreactor, and then turned the ammonia into energy with its fuel cell.
"The system was designed with space missions in mind, but the results showed that the UBE system could be used in any wastewater treatment systems containing urea and/or ammonia," Nicolau said in a report that appeared in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.