New Green Electrochemical Process Converts Urine into Plant Fuel

Context: Scientists have developed a new eco-friendly method to extract urea from urine and turn it into percarbamide, a useful fertilizer.

Urine: The Liquid Gold for Agriculture

• In the 17th century, German alchemist Hennig Brand attempted to extract gold from urine. Though unsuccessful, he discovered phosphorus, an essential nutrient for plants.
• Urine is often referred to as “liquid gold“ due to its high content of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen (as urea)—the three key nutrients in fertilizers.
• Nutrient Composition of Urine:
  • An adult produces 450-680 liters of urine annually.
  • Urine is 95% water, but the remaining 5% contains valuable nutrients: 4 kg of nitrogen & 0.3 kg of phosphorus
  • This nutrient content is enough to grow wheat for one loaf of bread every day for a year.
• Challenges in Utilizing Urine Directly: Despite its nutrient richness, urine is chemically complex, and its salts interfere with direct urea extraction.

New Electrochemical Process to Extract Urea

• A team of researchers developed a low-energy, electrochemical method using graphitic carbon-based catalysts to extract urea as percarbamide.
• Key Reaction: Urea combines with hydrogen peroxide, forming percarbamide, a white crystalline solid that can be separated from urine.
• The process is almost 100% efficient and works for both human and animal urine.

Key Advantages of Percarbamide

• Slow-release nitrogen fertilizer: Improves plant nutrition by gradually releasing nitrogen.
• Promotes root respiration: Enhances plant growth.
• Acts as an oxygen supplier: Useful in chemical reactions requiring active oxygen.
• Helps recover urea from urine efficiently.

Significance of the discovery

• Turns waste into a valuable resource instead of flushing it away.
• Makes agriculture more sustainable by reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
• Improves wastewater treatment by removing excess nitrogen.

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