Mushrooms can not only make floors fertile and reduce pollutants – they could also help use human waste in the future. Researchers in Canada have now developed a toilet system that creates compost with the help of mushroom mesh and does not require water, electricity or chemicals.
Our modern wastewater infrastructure is based on a system that consumes enormous amounts of water, costs energy and literally washes nutrients down the drain. Even with mobile and remote sanitary solutions without water access, it does not look better: instead, they rely on formaldehyde and other chemicals that leave poisonous residues in the waste. Researchers are therefore looking for more environmentally friendly toilet alternatives worldwide.
A waterless toilet with mycel drive
Such a “toilet of the future” has now presented researchers around Joseph Dahmen from the Canadian University of British Columbia. Her “Mycotoilet” is the world’s first waterless toilet that works with mushroom network. It transforms human excretions with the help of Myzel – the underground network of mushrooms – into nutrient -rich compost. Neither water nor electricity or chemical additives are used. The system can generate around 600 liters of earth and 2,000 liters of liquid fertilizer each year.
“Mushrooms are very good at breaking down biomass, including human and animal waste,” explains Dahmen’s colleague Steven Hallam. “They produce enzymes that convert the material into simpler connections and support microbial communities that accelerate the decomposition.” The Mycotoilet also relies on this process: inside, the system separates liquid waste from solid waste. The fixed components access a chamber with mycelium, where mushrooms absorb smells and reduce the organic material. Laboratory tests show that these myzel chambers can eliminate more than 90 percent of the odor -forming connections.
Environmentally friendly, barrier -free, low -maintenance
The toilet with mushroom drive is also more sustainable than conventional sanitary facilities on the outside. Their modular structure consists of prefabricated wooden panels that can be easily transported and put together. The outer shell made of charred cedar is weatherproof and has an antimicrobial effect, while a green roof supports the local flora and fauna. An energy -saving fan ensures fresh air and prevents the formation of unpleasant smells. In addition, the Mycotoilet only requires four maintenance work a year and is barrier -free.
“We put together the entire system into an architecturally appealing package that offers a pleasant experience, smells well, looks good and works seamlessly,” says Dahmen. In a six -week pilot project, the functioning of the new toilet should now be tested under real conditions. In the future, for example, the Mycotoilet could represent an inexpensive and sustainable alternative to conventional toilets in parks and remote regions.
Source: University of British Columbia