World’s First Bio-Brick Made Out of Human Urine by a Group of South African Students
It is made by mixing sand with a bacteria that produces urase; an enzyme that breaks the urea in urine while producing calcium carbonate at the same time.
We simply flush it away, but many a time it has been proved that pee has real value. Time and again, experts have only surprised us showing how urine is used in many innovative ways. This yellow liquid, a by-product secreted by our kidneys, has proven to be extremely versatile; urine therapy is just one of the popular one out of many. A group of scientists have introduced us to environment-friendly bricks made out of human pee. Yes, the South African university students are in every headline now. The achievement is stated as the world’s first brick sustainably made from urine. To Pee Or Not to Pee? What Happens When You Control Your Bladder? Here’s What Science Says.
The scientists unveiled their ‘bio-brick’ and explained the entire process in an article released by the University of Cape Town. It is made by mixing sand with a bacteria that produces urase; an enzyme that breaks the urea in urine while producing calcium carbonate at the same time. The result is a brick that is on-par with the limestone bricks. The lead research supervisor, Dyllon Randall said, “The longer you allow the little bacteria to make the cement, the stronger the product is going to be. We can optimise that process.” The engineering students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been gathering urine from men’s toilets. US Woman 'Cures' Acne By Applying Pee On Face! Here's What You Should Know About Urine Therapy.
A bio-brick requires between 25 to 30 litres of urine to grow. So, in order to make one urine brick, as calculated by the students, a human will have to go to the loo about 100 times. The process of creating the bio-brick is entirely zero-waste, and three useful products are made out of the urine so that nothing goes to waster at all. Randall with the research hopes that it will change the way society views waste.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2018 04:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).