It is no coincidence that human excrement is often referred to as "waste" and "dejection". Except for the adventurous few who purify and drink their own urine, since the dawn of time no one has managed to profitably reuse the waste materials of our bodies.
A group of researchers from Nanyang University in Singapore have created Nomix, a toilet that turns our feces into biogas and biodiesel.
Nomix Toilet, this is the name of the device, it adopts the same 'suction' technology that we find in airplane toilets to separate the liquid and solid parts of feces: the first is transformed into biogas, the second into fertilizer. It goes without saying that the contribution in energetic terms would be incredible, given the amount of 'participation' that human beings are able to offer on a daily basis.
Nomix, a rather energetic toilet
Biogas is a combustible gas produced by the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. This gas is often used as a fuel source, as it represents a greener option compared to traditional fuels. It's not bad to make it at home with this Nomix, but don't delude yourself that the quantities are sufficient to do who knows what with it :)
Of course, biogas can also be used as fertilizzante. And in these cases it contributes to improving the quality of the soil and increasing the yield of crops. This is because biogas contains high levels of nitrogen and other nutrients essential for plant growth.
Is a future conceivable in which trains and planes will be (partially, of course) powered through their own bathrooms?
We confidently await the developments of the research and let's not forget, when we read something in the bathroom, that we are literally sitting on a gold mine.
