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ASTRONAUTS
’ PEE TURNED TO ENERGY AND DRINKING WATER – GULP-GULP
When we think about space exploration, we usually end up thinking something along the lines of Star Trek. The immense expanse of space filled with undiscovered planets and solar systems is certainly a breathtaking idea. Few consider to imagine the less glamorous side of it all, such as waste. However, for the guys at NASA, it is a crucial point when it comes to making space exploration livable. According to scientists, the human waste generated during any space journey is half of their total waste generated. This includes trash, used food cartons, etc … Therefore, they are trying to come with a solution that is more useful than simply ejecting the waste into space. Their aim is to develop a technique that can convert the pee of astronauts into drinkable water and even fuel. Before you get all disgusted, remind yourself that this technique can be potentially lifesaving when you are wandering around in space. After all, there are no water tanks in space where you can refill your water supplies. For this purpose, the scientists used a specific wastewater treatment process known as forward osmosis. When combined with a fuel cell, this process can be used for generating power. That is actually cool once you get over the fact that the major component will be pee. As for the scientist, they used wastewater from the shower and urine and processed it with forward osmosis to separate urea and water from the contaminants. With the help of the new Urea Bioreactor Electrochemical system developed by them, the urea was converted into ammonia which is further transformed to energy.
This tech does have potential applications in space. After all, it will enable astronauts to get an additional source of water if the supplies they have onboard prove to be insufficient. However, it can also be used back here on Earth for processing wastewater into something more useful.
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SEPTEMBER 2016 Clean Water Technologies