Direct utilization of human liquid wastes by plants in a closed ecosystem.
Model experiments in phytotrons have shown that urea is able to cover 70% of the demand in nitrogen of the conveyer cultivated wheat. At the same time wheat plants can directly utilize human liquid wastes. In this article by human liquid wastes the authors mean human urine only. In a long-term experiment on "man-higher plants" system with two crewmen, plants covered 63 m2, with wheat planted to--39.6 m2. For 103 days, complete human urine (total amount--210.7 l) was supplied into the nutrient solution for wheat. In a month and a half NaCl supply into the nutrient solution stabilized at 0.9-1.65 g/l. This salination had no marked effect on wheat production. The experiment revealed the realistic feasibility to directly involve liquid wastes into the biological turnover of the life support system. The closure of the system, in terms of water, increased by 15.7% and the supply of nutrients for wheat plants into the system was decreased.
Lisovsky
G M
GM
Institute of Biophysics-Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Gitelson
J I
JI
Shilenko
M P
MP
Gribovskaya
I V
IV
Trubachev
I N
IN
D018533:Biomass; D003470:Culture Media; D018504:Ecological Systems, Closed; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005308:Fertilizers; D006801:Humans; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism*; D014908:Triticum / Q000378:metabolism*; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism*; D014556:Urine; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods
D003470:Culture Media; D005308:Fertilizers; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen