Human Poop Could Be A Green Energy Source, Israeli Researchers Say

By Alyssa Fisher November 16, 2018

Raw human excrement potentially can be converted into a safe, reusable fuel and nutrient-rich fertilizer, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found.

Scientists at BGU’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research discovered that they can use a chemical process of hydrothermal carbonization to heat solid human waste in a “pressure cooker,” transforming it into hydrochar, a reusable biomass fuel resembling charcoal. They published their findings in the “Journal of Cleaner Production”.

The Ben-Gurion researchers conducted similar research last year on turkey poop.

The findings have the potential to aid the energy issues plaguing much of the developing world, especially with global demand for energy per capita expected to peak in 2030, The Guardian reported.

Sanitation is also a global crisis. For example, according to the World Bank, only 5% of urban wastewater in Indonesia is safely treated and disposed of.

“Human excreta are considered hazardous due to their potential to transmit disease,” said Prof. Amit Gross, director of the Zuckerberg Institute. “While it is rich in organic matter nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, human waste also contains micro pollutants from pharmaceuticals, which can lead to environmental problems if not disposed or reused properly.”

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO