Stanford researchers have developed a prototype system that can harvest fertilizer from urine. The approach could provide sanitation, income, and energy in resource-limited regions. This work was funded in part by a Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health Seed Grant.

Image caption: Mechanical Engineering PhD student and Knight-Hennessy Scholar Orisa Coombs with a solar-electrochemical stripping setup for outdoor experiments. The solar panel is cooled by water that is used to enhance nitrogen recovery from urine (synthetic urine in this experiment, real urine in several others). Provided by the Tarpeh Lab