A team of researchers based at the University of the West of England in Bristol has developed a method for turning human effluent into electricity. Urine is basically chemicals in solution, so if those chemicals can be properly utilised, it can be a fuel like any other. The Bristol team uses a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system, which harnesses microorganisms to create energy as part of their metabolic process. “Microorganisms are extremely efficient — more than 96% — at converting organic matter into energy, however a well-performing MFC is less than 60% at best”, says Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, lead researcher and director of the Bristol BioEnergy Centre. “There is clearly a lot of room for improvement.”
