Separation of urine at the source, followed by collection and processing to create urine-derived fertilizers (UDF) is a viable approach that has seen some success in Europe and is ripe for implementation in the U.S. in response to the growing national trend toward centralized wastewater nutrient management. Urine collection and recovery will have a vast impact on the U.S. food-energy-water nexus from the household to the city scale. Source separation using specialized flush toilets and urinals for the generation of UDF can: (i) enhance food security by recovering most of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in food; (ii) reduce the energy associated with fertilizer production and offset energy required to treat nutrient-polluted water centrally; (iii) reduce water consumption by reducing flushing and (iv) Improve water quality. In this presentation we will provide an update on findings from the next-generation UDF preparation technologies we are using and will deploy during the 2018 crop season study (which will be underway at the time of the conference), give a synopsis of the current findings from the system-scale LCA and mass/energy balance modeling exercise centered on the U.S. market, and provide an update from our attitudinal and risk-aversion assessments around UDF and UDF-treated products.

Advancing technologies and improving communication of urine-derived fertilizers within a risk-based framework

256th National Meeting (2018)

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