Introduction
Farmers around the world may not be able to afford fertilizers because of high cost. Anyone that has recently visited a nursery can verify how expensive chemical and organic fertilizers have become. However, there is another plentiful and inexpensive fertilizer alternative: human urine. Human urine contains very few, if any pathogens. However, it contains the majority of plant fertilizing nutrients. Human urine contains high levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S). An additional benefit of using human urine, is that you are collecting it instead of flushing it, saving gallons and gallons of water.
Question
Which solution of human urine would be the most effective fertilizer:
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undiluted, 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, or 1:20? Hypothesis If human urine were to be used as an effective fertilizer, then the solution should be 1:10 due to urine has a very high nitrogen level.
After performing a urinalysis at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital under the supervision of the lab director, I found that urine is indeed very high in nitrogen. I also did a pH test at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital under the supervision of the lab director, which I found that urine has a neutral pH. Urine is known to contain high levels of the 3 most used nutrients fior plant growth (NPK). Human urine is also known to contain other necessary nutrients. Too much nitrogen can burn the plant roots and cause spindly weak plants, so dilution of human urine is …show more content…
required. Materials · 6 – 48 count planting trays · 1 pack of organic bean seeds · 1 pack of organic pea seeds · 2 packs of organic zucchini seeds · 3 packs of organic spinach seeds · Urine from one donor · Nuns Cap Specimen Collector (for collecting urine) · Containers to hold urine dilutions and fertilizer tea · Organic balanced fertilizer (4 - 4 - 4 NPP) · Gloves · Safety goggles · Identification tabs · Black Gold Seedling Soil · Bottled spring water · Syringes · Ruler and yardstick · Yarn · 2 ft grow light · Paper towel · Soil Test Kits · Cheesecloth · Pitcher · Funnel · Spoon · Bowl Work Cited · Shaw, Ryan. “THE USE OF HUMAN URINE AS CROP FERTILIZER IN MALI, WEST AFRICA.” MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Ryan Shaw, 2010, pp. 1–76 · Nick, Jean. “How to Use Your Pee for The Planet.” Roadales Organic Life. Com, Jean Nick, 2015, www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-use-your-pee-planet. · Brasch, Sam. “Can Human Urine Replace Chemical Fertilizers?” Modern Farmer.com, Sam Brasch, 13 Jan. 2014, modernfarmer.com/2014/01/human-pee-proven-fertilizer-future. · Cox, Mariah, and Peter, Arpad. “Urinalysis.” Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital Laboratory, 27 Dec. 2017. Variables Constant Variables: Planting Soil, bottled spring water, all seeds are the same brand, temperature, light, humidity, and amount of liquid given to each plant Independent Variable: type of fluid each plant receives. Dependent Variable: growth and health of plant Procedure 1. Gather all materials. 2. Fill planting trays with seedling soil. 3. Soak all seeds for 5 hours then leave on a wet paper towel overnight. 4. Plant one seed in each compartment at the appropriate depth and water each compartment with 20 milliliters (ml) of bottled spring water. (12/21/2017) 5. After most plants have emerged give 5 milliliters (ml) of bottled spring water to each compartment. (12/31/2017) 6. Take first measurements and record data. Record data weekly. (1/2/2018) 7. Took plants outside for some sunshine (UV rays) in hopes of killing mold that had begun growing on the soil. (1/12/2018) 8. Prepare designated fluids: · Control: use only bottled spring water · Fertilizer: make fertilizer tea (1-part fertilizer to 5-parts bottled spring water) brew overnight then strain · 1 to 1: 1-part urine to 1-part bottled spring water then mix thoroughly · 1 to 5: 1-part urine to 5-parts bottled spring water then mix thoroughly · 1 to 10: 1-part urine to 10-parts bottled spring water then mix thoroughly 9. 3 weeks after planting watered with 10 milliliters (ml) of designated liquid [bottled spring water, 4 - 4 - 4 NPP Fertilizer, human urine (undiluted, 1:1, 1:5, 1:10)] *Do this every 12th day* (1/13/2018) 10. Ran yarn from ceiling for plants to use as runners. (1/19/2018) 11. Every 4th and 8th day after fertilizing, water each compartment with 10 milliliters (ml) of bottled spring water. (1/20/2018) 12. Added 2ft grow light in place of sunshine (UV rays) because plants were no longer mobile due to the runners. (1/20/2018) 13. Test soil of dead plant groups in hopes of finding the cause of sudden death. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits, CA and their Director of the Laboratory for teaching me how to perform a urinalysis and allowing me to use their equipment. Name: Mariah Cox Grade: 11th School: Laytonville High School Date: February 2018 Observations I realized that next time I should put two seeds to a compartment where there is more of a chance for at least one to come up.
After about two weeks I noticed fuzzy white mold growing on the soil so I decided to take them outside for some sunlight (UV Rays). It was 70°F the day they were outside. Most of the mold growing on the soil had died. However, a few days later all the spinach had died including the ones in fertilizer and control. The zucchini became tall and spindly and had began to tip over. The beans were also getting tall so I decided to string all surviving plants up with yarn to the ceiling. I added a 2ft grow light because they were no longer mobile. (They were previously under a mixture of fluorescent and incandescent
lights) Beans: When I was tying the beans up three of them broke so they are not very strong plants. Out of 72 bean seeds 16 did not emerge. On average the balanced fertilizer did only slightly better than the 1:10 urine dilution and the control. The tallest bean plant was in the 1:10 urine dilution at 520 millimeters (mm) which is taller than the control by 20 millimeters (mm). The 1:10 urine dilution seems to work the best for the beans. Peas: When I was tying the peas up one of them broke. These pea plants are short and straggly including the controls and fertilizers. Out of 72 pea seeds 24 did not emerge. On average the control did only slightly better than the 1:10 urine dilution and the balanced fertilizer. The tallest pea plant was in the control at 240 millimeters (mm) which is taller than the balanced fertilizer by 30 millimeters (mm) and 60 millimeters (mm) taller than the 1:10 urine dilution. The 1:10 urine dilution seems to work the best for the peas. Zucchini: When I was tying the zucchinis up two of them broke. Out of 72 zucchini seeds 6 did not emerge. Almost all the zucchini in all of the urine dilutions died at once. I am not sure if the cause of death was due to the way the runners were tied to them or if they were very susceptible to the urine. The control and fertilizer zucchinis were tied differently and are still alive. I tested the soil trying to find the cause of death. The pH of the soil in the undiluted urine was 7. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was medium. The potassium was low. The pH of the soil in the 1:1 urine dilution was 6.5. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was medium. The potassium was low. The pH of the soil in 1:5 urine dilution was 6.5. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was high. The potassium was medium. The pH of the soil in 1:10 urine dilution was 6. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was high. The potassium was medium. The averages of the urine dilutions do not represent a good test because of the sudden unknown death of the zucchinis Spinach: I did not tie the spinach up because they were too fragile. Out of 72 spinach seeds 9 did not emerge. All of the spinach including the control and fertilizer died after the day in the sun at 70°F. The averages of the urine dilutions do not represent a good test because of the sudden unknown death of the spinach. I tested the soil trying to find the cause of death. The pH of the soil in the undiluted urine was 7. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was medium. The potassium was high. The pH of the soil in the 1:1 urine dilution was 6. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was high. The potassium was low. The pH of the soil in 1:5 urine dilution was 6. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was high. The potassium was depleted. The pH of the soil in 1:10 urine dilution was 6.5. The nitrogen was high. The phosphorus was high. The potassium was depleted. The pH of the soil in control was 7. The nitrogen was depleted. The phosphorus was depleted. The potassium was depleted. The pH of the soil in fertilizer was 7. The nitrogen was depleted. The phosphorus was depleted. The potassium was medium. Conclusion After reviewing the data, I feel that if you dilute the urine to at least 1:10 it is as adequate as the balanced fertilizer. Something went wrong with the zucchini and spinach in all of the urine trays. The spinach died in the control and fertilizer trays also. Therefore, there is no accurate data for the zucchini or spinach. After performing the soil tests, I have indeed found that human urine puts a high amount of nitrogen into the soil. This is most likely the cause of the spindly delicate plants. However, the dead zucchini and spinach plants had healthy looking roots. Furthering my project, I have started a tray of 1:15 urine dilution and a tray of 1:20 urine dilution using all four types of the plants that I tested earlier. Results
The unknown bacterium that was handed out by the professor labeled “E19” was an irregular and raised shaped bacteria with a smooth texture and it had a white creamy color. The slant growth pattern was filiform and there was a turbid growth in the broth. After all the tests were complete and the results were compared the unknown bacterium was defined as Shigella sonnei. The results that narrowed it down the most were the gram stain, the lactose fermentation test, the citrate utilization test and the indole test. The results for each of the tests performed are listed in Table 1.1 below.
As much as 95% of employers favor urine testing as a method for drug testing, and this one piece of statistic may have positively affected the trend and demand for synthetic urine over the years.
For years farmers have been adding natural fertilizers to their crops. It is a big risk though. Over fertilizing is very dangerous. It puts high concentrations of salt into the soil. It can also affect the water resources nearby. Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potassium are the basics of fertilizer. If a certain nutrient is short in supply the fertilizer might not work as well. Calcium, iron, manganese are also nutrients that might be needed. So don’t just trust the fertilizer bag that says it has all the nutrients, test it out. (Miller and Levine 717)
The group with the highest average urine production rate of 7.5 mL of fluid for each kg of body weight was the diet caffeine free group. Diet caffeine free uses NutraSweet instead of glucose as the sweetening agent. NutraSweet causes high filtrate osmolality, which decreases reabsorption and moves water from out of the tissue into the urine, increasing urine output.
According to the graph on amylase activity at various enzyme concentration (graph 1), the increase of enzyme dilution results in a slower decrease of amylose percentage. Looking at the graph, the amylose percentage decreases at a fast rate with the undiluted enzyme. However, the enzyme dilution with a concentration of 1:3 decreased at a slow rate over time. Additionally, the higher the enzyme dilution, the higher the amylose percentage. For example, in the graph it can be seen that the enzyme dilution with a 1:9 concentration increased over time. However, there is a drastic increase after four minutes, but this is most likely a result of the error that was encountered during the experiment. The undiluted enzyme and the enzyme dilution had a low amylose percentage because there was high enzyme activity. Also, there was an increase in amylose percentage with the enzyme dilution with a 1: 9 concentrations because there was low enzyme activity.
The purpose of the experiment is to determine the ID of an unknown diprotic acid by establishing its pKa values. The first phase is to determine the unknown diprotic acid by titration, which is a technique where a solution of known concentration is used to determine the molecular weight. While the second phase involved seeing how much NaOH needed to standardize diprotic acid.
The well-known saying: “Too much of something is never good”, applies to the Nitrogen component in urine. Nitrogen is a good fertilizer and dog urine could in fact be very beneficial to one’s lawns. The problem is that the Nitrogen concentration in dog urine is too high. According to Article 2, it is the concentration of the Nitrogen that is deadly to the grass, not the Nitrogen element itself. According to Article 4, the yellow stain emerges when the excess Nitrogen dehydrates the plant.
Nitrogen can always be a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant depending on the circumstances and the environment it is in. As a fertilizer, nitrogen can be extremely useful in aiding the growth of many plants. As a nutrient, nitrogen is essential to many plants growth and survival. As a pollutant, nitrogen can not only affect the plant at the given time but be very detrimental many years down the road. No matter where you go nitrogen will always be either a fertilizer, nutrient, or pollutant.
Cow urine contains 24 types of salts as well as iron, calcium, phosphorous, carbonic acid, potash and lactose.
These wastes are derived from the liquid and food that the individual had consumed. In cases of compromised kidney function, the kidneys are no longer able to remove or filter wastes in the normal way. This means that wastes are left to accumulate in the bloodstream. When this scenario takes hold, it can negatively impact the patient 's electrolytes, therefore, positive action has to be taken to optimize the situation. When patients follow a renal diet it can help to slow down the advancement of total kidney failure, and ameliorate kidney function. Along with chloride and potassium, sodium represents one of the body 's main three electrolytes. The latter manipulate the fluids with enter and leave the body’s cells and tissues. Therefore, patients with renal disease must monitor their intake of electrolytes. Keeping a daily food dairy is essential (Nephcure), and will be of great benefit to the dietitian who can pinpoint certain details.
Nitrogen is the foundation for the growth of a crop of barley that will produce a sufficient yield. Applying fertilizer to the crop requires careful and necessary steps that will help determine the amount needed. Therefore step one, when determining nitrogen needs for the next growing year, it is important to find out how much nitrogen is left in the soil from the previous growing year. This process requires a soil sample test, which will give test results showing what type of nutrients are still left in the soil. “Step two, nitrogen is mineralized from the soil and made available for plant growth during the next growing season. The problem is there is no test for this so, in Southern Idaho, farmers use an estimation of around forty-five pounds acre” (Robertson and Stark). Step three, when following crops like sugar beets, potatoes, and onions, which have rapid residue decomposition, farmers do not have to use extra recommendations, for nitrogen, to break down those previous crop’s residue. However, if they have a crop that produces mature grain residue, which has low tissue nitrogen levels, farmers have to appl...
The nitrogen in ammonia makes many people think that it can double as fertilizer and promote plant growth. However, using household ammonia, which is present in many cleansers, can do more harm than good. Learning the ins and outs of this chemical and its effect on plant growth might make you think twice about using it.
... urea, or sulfate a few days before crop harvesting. Other ways of lessening the amount of nitrate accumulation in plants substantially include rational application of organic manure instead of inorganic nutrients, use of physiologically active substances, proper spray of nitrification inhibitors and molybdenum fertilizers, and growing plants under controlled environmental conditions. Strategies for reducing nitrate accumulation in plants are not being put in place is due to the fact that the information has not been translated into practice by farmers. Training and education of these farmers is important in developing new practices on reducing nitrate accumulation on their crops. It is essential for these farmers to understand the effects of high nitrate consumption on human health and at the same time the importance of minimizing nitrate content in plant tissues.
-Chemical fertilizers contain salt that is bad for the crop’s soil. It consumes the soil’s important nutrients and minerals that are normally found naturally in crop’s soil. Many people think that using chemical fertilizer will replenish the lost nutrients, but the fertilizer only replenishes nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. A lot of times, phosphorus is drained from the soil into groundwater. Phosphorus does not dissolve in water, causing water contamination to many water resources. It could hurt both crops and humans. The phosphorus can also cause soil to harden when the chemical fertilizer is used over a long time.