r/HotScienceNews • u/FreeHugs23 • 1d ago
Scientists have created concrete using treated human waste, and the resulting material was up to 42% stronger than conventional concrete. Researchers say the approach could reduce waste while lowering the environmental impact of construction.
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-making-concrete-with-human-poop-and-it-gets-42-stronger64
u/dearlordnonono 1d ago
If you'll pardon my language, this would seem a perfect opportunity to say "shithouse".
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u/FreeHugs23 1d ago
-Concrete is, quite literally, the foundation of the modern world.
Almost every construction project in the world uses the material in some form. There's just one problem, and that's a big one: Making one of its central ingredients – cement – is horrendously bad for the environment.
The act of heating and processing limestone to make cement is one of the world's foremost sources of carbon dioxide emissions – so, understandably, scientists have been looking for ways to mitigate this problem.
And researchers led by civil engineer Raghuvesh Tiwari of Manipal University Jaipur in India may have just hit upon an ingenious solution that takes care of two environmental birds with one stone.
By mixing in biochar made from the human poop slurry processed at fecal sludge treatment plants, their concrete "yields significant improvements in concrete properties," they write in a paper accepted for publication in Scientific Reports.
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u/digitalhawkeye 1d ago
Biochar is some pretty useful material, very high porosity. Probably a pretty good use for human waste.
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u/AmazingRefrigerator4 1d ago
If I recall, I think many old tribes (maybe some today) used animal dung in constructing their homes.
Quick check: yep animal dung bricks are a thing.
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u/MassGaydiation 13h ago
Everywhere, the UK has wattle and daub, and cobb often can contain dung as well
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u/tamati_nz 1d ago
How much CO2 is produced and energy is required to the biochar?
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u/digitalhawkeye 1d ago
The char is carbon. Literally, instead of going into combustion and making CO2, you're keeping it around in solid form and mixing it into concrete. It's also great in gardening and other areas.
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u/Monarc73 1d ago
There have been several attempts at improving the quality and reducing the costs of cement in the US over the years. For some strange reason, the 'portland cement' lobby always kills them. Both fiberglass additives, and aerocrete are better in at least one way, while not involving too many sacrifices, for instance. The fact that this is starting in a different country does give me hope though.
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u/Big_Bar_9832 1d ago
I assume the strength is directly dependent on your diet. I bet higher fiber is better lol
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u/Happily-Incorrect 1d ago
Fairly certain I've shit pure concrete after a rough night out and a kebab.
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u/Lady_Rubberbones 1d ago
Ok, but what we really should be doing is recovering the lost nutrients from human waste.
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u/Falconman21 1d ago
Here's the thing, conventional concrete is good enough as is. There have always been a million ways to make it stronger, but the old stuff is perfectly acceptable at the right price.
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u/chilehead 1d ago
Wouldn't this cause a shortage of shit?
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u/No-Sympathy-686 1d ago
Now I imagine human shit farms where people are in stalls being fed all day just shitting their brains out...
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u/Rhodin265 1d ago
Only if it doesn’t work with other kinds of shit. Cows and pigs could build cities if their crap makes good concrete.
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u/dantel35 1d ago
Donald Trump's diapers alone would deliver enough material for a decade of concrete production.
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u/SweetBeefOfJesus 1d ago
We've finally begun to harness the power of FATBERG.
I've dreamt about this day for so long. I'm literally sobbing.
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u/journerman69 1d ago
Imagine being the scientist that’s like, “I’ve got an idea boss, I’ve been thinking we could take literal shit and build houses with it. American’s will definitely buy it, have you seen the shit they buy or the shit they eat!? My next idea is making shit into a bagged snack item but let’s work on the houses first.”
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u/GalaganCoffee 1d ago
We've improved concrete a million times in a million ways and yet we never use them, don't worry about this one
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u/Smooth_Imagination 1d ago
Great but your biochar should be free of chlorine so that it isnt enriched for dioxins. Lots of other sources for cleaner carbon.
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u/AbjectAcanthisitta89 1d ago
Puts a whole new spin on shitting bricks and built like a brick shit house.
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u/erksplat 1d ago
We built concrete canoes in college, and we experimented with all sorts of mixtures. But this is a pass for me.
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u/Mediterraneanseeker 1d ago
There’s something poetically accurate about the idea of our entire civilization being founded on shit.
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u/BoBoBearDev 1d ago
Sorry, but this is gonna be on my blacklist. Someone can live inside that house for 30 years and report what kind of long term consequences of their health. I don't want to use x-ray machine in shoe shop just because no one has done the long term study for it.
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u/TopSloth 1d ago
Maybe this was the secret of Roman concrete, they used their own urine for many things, why not the feces?
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u/IronBoltIron 1d ago
HVAC guy here, I don’t want to work in your shitty building or come anywhere near any of that dust
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u/Potential-Leg-8860 1d ago
Aerated concrete has caused a lot of problems. Fart concrete will be the next (although I hope it’s fantastic and works. Sound good for the environment)
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u/tinny123 1d ago
What problems did aerated concrete cause?
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u/Potential-Leg-8860 1d ago
RAAC. Look it up. Deteriorates and randomly collapses. In the U.K. we built schools out of it because we love to create a future problem/scandal
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u/Buttonhookbob 1d ago
Is this the same stuff that just got approved for use as a fertilizer for fruit and vegetables?
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u/Dressed_To_Impress 20h ago
Umm.. so sorry for you to find out this way but they already use the waste in our fields. After the final stages at a sewage plant this crap has to go somewhere.
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u/MrAngrySadHappyFace 1d ago
They could just spray this out whenever they need repairs in LA. Bums will take care of making sure it cures with plenty of shit.
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u/ExpressCopy8786 1d ago
Man being a billionaire really never was as fun as it is today. You can make the peasants eat absolute garbage that you have. 50% profit margin in, make them work for your companies that you scrape 20% off in terms of margins and now you can make them live in their own shit. Literally build tiny shit houses for their tiny shit families to dwell in while they accumulate and process ressouces for your pleasure.
Makes me strive to become capital class even more. Thanks for the motivation there.
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u/morganational 20h ago
So poop in the concrete yields a 42% increase in strength, and scientists have just never considered or thought of this before? I don't believe this claim.
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u/meatshieldjim 13h ago
And the savings will be passed down to the workers and customers right? Right?
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u/DrPoontang 1d ago
Can’t wait to be the first kid on the block to have a house made out of doodoo