Abstract:
Large-scale sustainable agriculture presents a formidable challenge globally, resulting in severe food insecurity for approximately 52% and 48% of people living in rural and urban areas, respectively. An estimated 690 million individuals suffer from hunger annually due to the high cost of chemical fertilizers and other factors. The aimed of this study is to explores the impact of urine and chemical fertilizers on plant yield and the effects of heavy metals, and other micropollutants on human health. To reduce costs, source-separated urine offers a promising alternative for crop production, despite containing more nitrogen and phosphorus than traditional fertilizers. However, human urine also contains pharmaceuticals and micropollutants with adverse effects on human health and the environment. Human urine provides essential micronutrients for plant growth. Nevertheless, the presence of heavy metals and other micropollutants in urine raises safety concerns. While urine diversion toilets can safely collect urine, their use as a liquid fertilizer requires careful consideration due to the presence of disease-causing organisms, pharmaceuticals, and metabolites that contribute to water and soil contamination. Consumers and farmers alike worry about the safety of crops fertilized with urine, given the perception of disease-causing pathogens. Various methods to remove antibiotics from urine, such as membrane bioreactors combined with complex chemicals and physicochemical processes, were also examined. These methods, including activated powdered carbon, nano-filtration, ozone, and ozone/UV, target specific antibiotics and their metabolites to ensure the safety of urinederived fertilizers.
Page(s):
256-256
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on International Conference on Food and Applied Sciences (ICFAS-23) 3-5 August 23, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023
Keywords:
fertilizer
,
urine
,
Nutrients
,
Heavy metal
,
pharmaceuticals
,
Microplastics