Belgian scientists create an urine converter machine into drinking water

A group of scientists at University of Ghent in Belgium say they have created a solar-powered machine able to converts urine into drinking water and fertilizer. This technique is said to be applied in rural areas and developing countries.

Although there are other options for processing the waste water, the system applied at the University of Ghent using a special membrane, which is said to be energy efficient and can be used in areas that have no electricity supply.

Two Belgian scientists, Marjolein Vanoppen and Sebastiaan Derese (right) shows how to use solar-powered machine to turn urine into drinking water and fertilizer on the campus of the University of Ghent, Belgium, July 26, 2016. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1cfYod)

"We can get fertilizer and drinking water from urine by using a solar powered simple process," said Sebastiaan Derese, a researcher from the University of Ghent. The urine is collected in a large tank, heated in a solar-powered boiler before being passed to the membrane to get water and separating substances such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Belgian scientist Sebastiaan Derese drinks water from a machine that turns urine into drinkable water and fertilizer using solar energy, at the University of Ghent, Belgium, July 26, 2016. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1cfZfs)

With #peeforscience hashtag, the researcher team recently installed those machines at music festivals and theater that lasted 10 days in Ghent, and got 1,000 liters of urine from the visitors.

Furthermore Derese said, that the target is to install more larger machines in sports stadiums or airports, and also took it to remote places in the developing countries where fertilizer and drinking water is less available.

As with previous projects involving those researcher team, the water obtained from the festival in the city will be used to create one of the most desirable Belgian products, ie beer. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | #PEEFORSCIENCE | REUTERS]

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