What Happens If You Use Your Feces as Fertilizer?

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  • Опубликовано: 29 окт 2024

Комментарии • 1,4 тыс.

  • @silentwinged
    @silentwinged 6 лет назад +46

    I wish this was surprising to me, but my father-in-law was a biosolids sprayer for a while, and I learned way more than I wanted to from that (including learning that there is a magazine all about manure spreading - he made it on the cover of one issue).

    • @SoulWhite
      @SoulWhite Год назад +4

      Lol, you must be real proud of this specific achievement of his.

    • @Black_Caucus
      @Black_Caucus Год назад +5

      LOL now that is something to be proud of. Some fathers make their kids proud by playing professional football or basketball, some fathers labor in an auto factory with the United Auto Workers union, and some very super awesome fathers make it onto the cover of "Manure Weekly"! LOL.

    • @m.e.345
      @m.e.345 Год назад +2

      As long as he didn't make the centerfold, I wouldn't be too concerned.. 😄

  • @nicolaiveliki1409
    @nicolaiveliki1409 6 лет назад +42

    In the region where I grew up in Germany, the farmers regularly spread the content of our sewage tanks on the fields (also the feces of their farm animals). I don't know how much additional artificial nutrients they use, but our food in Germany is highly regulated, so the risks can't be too bad

    • @marshallsvideo
      @marshallsvideo Год назад +3

      🤢

    • @Faiselmoha
      @Faiselmoha Год назад +3

      Hallo Nicola.
      Is the content they spread on farms (which contains human urine and feces) is untreated? With Pathogens? 😮

    • @nicolaiveliki1409
      @nicolaiveliki1409 Год назад +1

      @@Faiselmoha I don't know how they treat the sewage after they extract it from our tanks, but it can't be more than heating it up a little, but you don't actually want to kill off all the bacteria that break down the sewage

    • @barbarmongrelli
      @barbarmongrelli Год назад +2

      @@marshallsvideoOh grow up. If you think that’s bad, I’d hate to see your reaction to how chocolate is made.

    • @CharDhue
      @CharDhue Год назад +3

      ​@@barbarmongrellilet him see how sugar made while it's not as dangerous as bacterial problem the appearance is kinda gross
      There many other example too but people seriously need to learn that most of them regulated sooo,,,,

  • @jeremiasrobinson
    @jeremiasrobinson 6 лет назад +352

    When done properly, composting human waste is probably safer than shitting into water.

    • @sofia.eris.bauhaus
      @sofia.eris.bauhaus 6 лет назад +99

      now: "people used to throw their fecies in to the streets?!"
      2100: "people used to flush their fecies into the sewers?!"

    • @msjkramey
      @msjkramey 6 лет назад +5

      sofias. orange ha, that's perfect

    • @Tom-fh3zg
      @Tom-fh3zg 6 лет назад +3

      jeremy robinsonartist ....why do you say that?

    • @sofia.eris.bauhaus
      @sofia.eris.bauhaus 6 лет назад +28

      Tom !: grey water (wastewater without feces and urine in it) is much easier to treat than regular sewage, and the feces can be easily composted. urine should probably treated seperately as well, as it contains all the pharmaceuticals that shouldn't get into the rivers and it has some nice ressources in it.
      i'm not exactly sure what the best solution is, but i guess it's a taboo-ish subject which makes it hard to introduce innovation, similar to why people still use tiolet paper instead of washing their butts with bidets..

    • @Tom-fh3zg
      @Tom-fh3zg 6 лет назад +5

      sofias. orange ..... Thank you for the explanation

  • @jif.6821
    @jif.6821 6 лет назад +63

    I grew up in early to late 1960s Japan and I remember the rice farmers using human waste as fertilizer though I do not recall how they processed it to make it any safer. I remember my dad driving us from our home in Tokyo to the southern end of Chiba prefecture to visit our grandparents small farm in the country. Back then much of the country roads were still dirt and through miles of rice paddies. We could smell the waste and my parents said it was "koyashi" the fertilizer made from human waste that was stored in pits along the side of the rice paddies which were along the road. Dad told us a story of one of his buddies visiting him out in the country and on his way home after dark he pulled over to "take a leak" and as he stepped out of his car he fell right into one of these "koyashi" pits (argh). Japan is still a pretty "green" country so I imagine they still use "koyashi" for fertilizer.

    • @exclamationpointman3852
      @exclamationpointman3852 2 года назад +2

      koyashi. I will look that up. Thank you.

    • @oOo-dj7pt
      @oOo-dj7pt 2 года назад +7

      I have read that in Haiti they mix it with sugarcane bagas (the material left behind after crushing sugarcane, it looks like hay) to speed up the composting process. Not sure if it heats up on it's own or if they heat it but at around 160 degrees it kills pathogens in the feces. I believe it takes a while for it to become proper compost

    • @FS02012
      @FS02012 2 года назад

      I use period blood for my plants and vegetables! Works great

    • @自家用タイガージェット
      @自家用タイガージェット Год назад +2

      I'm Japanese.
      Even today, though storage tanks still exist, for example next to fields, but they all seem to be empty.
      Most Japanese believe that the use of koyashi is prohibited by law.
      If they knew that what they were seeing were vegetables grown using it, there would be no one to buy them,
      In fact, there are only a few farmers who use it, and even then it would be for their own consumption only.
      Incidentally, in Edo period Japan, koyashi was an expensive commodity and its price depended on the status of the person who "produced" it.

    • @juntjoonunya9216
      @juntjoonunya9216 Год назад

      It's not dangerous. The vaccines and herbicides are though

  • @BryanGreffin
    @BryanGreffin 6 лет назад +25

    I've been using a biosolid fertilizer on the lawn for some years now, Milorganite. It's cheap, works well, and has the added benefit of having iron content. I'd like to see more companies in the field as the stuff works pretty well if you can find it in your area.

    • @vg23air
      @vg23air 5 месяцев назад

      well, you could contaminate your land with forever chemicals, which has now happened in Texas and all the cattle have to be culled and the land can no longer be used, thats one thing.

    • @Nala15-Artist
      @Nala15-Artist 5 месяцев назад +1

      There has been a recent uptake in claims that the biosolids over the long term enrich the soil with Polyfluorates (PFAs) which seem to be extremely deadly and do not decay. Have you noticed anything like that?

  • @davidbuschhorn6539
    @davidbuschhorn6539 6 лет назад +60

    When I was three, my parents used composted "manure" from the waste treatment plant in Meridian Mississippi, as lawn fertilizer.
    Downside? Tomato seeds need to be eaten to really grow well so we had tons of little tomato plants growing all over the yard! LOL!

    • @allisond.46
      @allisond.46 4 года назад

      Moe weeding for you!

    • @anthonythorp7291
      @anthonythorp7291 4 года назад +2

      Milwaukee Wisconsin sewer plant processes their solid waste for fertilizer too. It also goes to the Menomonee Falls garage dump.

    • @-Gadget-
      @-Gadget- 3 года назад +1

      A number of years ago, I bought a house, which was brand new, hence no lawn. At the time we had issues apparently with cow manure and chicken manure, so, they opted for dunking the entire grass slab into the sewage farm, which they then dried out, delivered and subsequently planted in my yard.
      Being a brand new established area, my property was on a stand that had several spaces around it still unoccupied (Thankfully). However, this did not prevent neighbour's 6 plots away, begging us NOT to water the lawn.
      To say the least, it still stank like a sewage farm 3 years after the lawn was put into the ground. I must admit, I have Never had such an awesome looking garden, but man, that stench.
      Won't be agreeing to that process ever again 🤢

    • @tristanbhampton444
      @tristanbhampton444 2 года назад

      I'm from Meridian, MS. Cool story lol

  • @tommeng6522
    @tommeng6522 6 лет назад +126

    Have you seen that new movie Constipated? Wait, it hadn't not came out yet.

  • @donjohnson6759
    @donjohnson6759 4 года назад +4

    Raw sewage is the best fertilizer. I've never seen such beautiful colorful growth

    • @vg23air
      @vg23air 5 месяцев назад

      well, you could contaminate your land with forever chemicals, which has now happened in Texas and all the cattle have to be culled and the land can no longer be used, thats one thing.

  • @hustlehank6855
    @hustlehank6855 6 лет назад +1328

    I once got thrown in jail for using humans as fertilizer

  • @JamesSmith-rb5lv
    @JamesSmith-rb5lv 6 лет назад +122

    Humanure.

    • @novastar3990
      @novastar3990 6 лет назад

      PUNS.

    • @DarthRevan42
      @DarthRevan42 6 лет назад

      Ha

    • @kjamison5951
      @kjamison5951 6 лет назад +1

      James Smith That’s a trademark, right there! Quick, make sure you secure www.humanure.com !!!!

    • @JamesSmith-rb5lv
      @JamesSmith-rb5lv 6 лет назад +2

      Vsauce2: The Water Fountain You Pee In: 8:58 Humanure. I didn't come up with "humanure" but I wish I did.

    • @xiloeteknowledgiesllc1973
      @xiloeteknowledgiesllc1973 6 лет назад +1

      It's true. Humanure is sold by a city in Northern Virginia. They make it at their sewer treatment plant. They give it away in sample packets at their yearly county fairs.

  • @TrilliumWildEdibles
    @TrilliumWildEdibles 6 лет назад +4

    Not surprising considering we use bat guano, cow manure, chicken manure, and more for organic practices. Plus some of the largest organic food manufacturers use biosolids for fertilizer. Great video, and rather informative for people like myself who try to utilize natural materials to live. Also great information on how they can be a problem due to the amount of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals in our poop. Great video guys!

    • @shotingstar__333
      @shotingstar__333 Год назад

      aren't biosolids prohibited for production of organic food? where did you find this info

  • @madonnayoder2429
    @madonnayoder2429 6 лет назад +2

    I did some research in a lab focused on anaerobic digestion of dairy manure and learned that the digestor for a herd of a few hundred cows produces enough heat and electricity to run the whole farm and sell power back to the grid. Also, the solids make great bedding for the cows and the liquids were used for fertilizer. The issue I was working on is rebalancing the N:P ratio of the liquids for optimal plant uptake.
    It's good to hear this sort of solution being discussed!

  • @bradolfpittler2875
    @bradolfpittler2875 6 лет назад +34

    electrishity!!!

    • @guillepankeke2844
      @guillepankeke2844 5 месяцев назад +1

      That would be more using the gasses of poop.

  • @caciquepadilla
    @caciquepadilla 6 лет назад +10

    Actually that's what happens with a septic tank. It actually transfers the broken down feces into the ground.

  • @bobbyharper8710
    @bobbyharper8710 6 лет назад +438

    Maybe they could terraform Uranus with poop?

    • @lepassant478
      @lepassant478 6 лет назад +18

      Bobby Harper call Elon Musk

    • @UltimatePerfection
      @UltimatePerfection 6 лет назад +43

      Nah, NASA already had probed Uranus and it's unsuitable for terraforming. It's just a gas giant with large amounts of methane in its atmosphere.

    • @JeshikaKazeno
      @JeshikaKazeno 6 лет назад +24

      Trust me when I say that Uranus has enough poop in it already.

    • @dontknowdontcare1934
      @dontknowdontcare1934 6 лет назад

      QVear hi

    • @JeshikaKazeno
      @JeshikaKazeno 6 лет назад +12

      I have seen things I cannot unsee. There are some things that man was not meant to know. I have gazed into the stinky abyss, and the stinky abyss gazed back at me. I will never be the same again.

  • @SaifurMohsin
    @SaifurMohsin 6 лет назад +39

    @0.58 “I don’t need to explain that, right?”. I don’t know why I laughed so hard at that line... it’s probably the way he said it!

    • @spock7945
      @spock7945 6 лет назад

      ditto!
      I would have commented the same but scrounged to see if someone already did. thankfully you did Saifu bhai!

    • @daliacapellan
      @daliacapellan 5 лет назад

      Same

  • @alyssam8550
    @alyssam8550 6 лет назад +231

    i wonder if i have ever eaten any crops that were fertilized by my own poop...🤔

  • @willywanker449
    @willywanker449 5 лет назад +2

    Poo dealer: its not the hero we needed, but the hero we deserved

  • @melTiceTiger
    @melTiceTiger 6 лет назад +5

    I love SciShow and Hank's delivery of information in a humorous method. It makes learning about even human poop fertilizer entertaining.

  • @origamigirl11RK
    @origamigirl11RK 6 лет назад +1

    That was not an easy topic to cover but I’m glad you didn’t let the taboo stop you. I definitely learned something.

  • @edi9892
    @edi9892 6 лет назад +27

    In Europe we got so much excrements from pork production, that we pay for its removal. Farmers have been sprinkling their fields with it to such an extent that nearby ponds suffered algae bloom.

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 6 лет назад +7

      They shut down a local brewery (the largest employer in town) partially becuase they claimed it was run off poisoning the big lake in the middle of town. The algea is still so thick that it kills fish and will cause your skin to burn. The dumb thing is thebrewery was harmless but all the government buildings are up hill from the lake and they dump tons of fertilizers on their giant lawns (it's seriously a couple acres of nothing but emerald green grass)

    • @matthewcalifana488
      @matthewcalifana488 5 лет назад +1

      It must be spring in Europe , wonder if the flowers would like some suffered algae !

    • @matthewcalifana488
      @matthewcalifana488 5 лет назад

      I I hear yea farm ers been ah sprink colon fairy dust a round their fields , may they dar GREENEST grass & ALgae ! Ya know those crazy Ah mericans have Many TOns of PIG excrement from 1 source the whitehouse !

    • @cubaniton74
      @cubaniton74 5 лет назад +3

      Algae can be collected and dried up to be used as more fertilizer.

    • @varghen0
      @varghen0 5 лет назад

      denmark?

  • @xRnChrisx
    @xRnChrisx 6 лет назад +2

    I was just having breakfast, saw the video title and thought yep! This is what I need right now~

  • @arescue
    @arescue 6 лет назад +12

    Some water treatment plants use several stages of different microbes that digest the waste in the water, and then clean the water, to generate heat and energy that is used to power the water treatment plant. Its a fascinating part of engineering. These water treatment plants don’t use power from the grid, they are completely self contained systems. This technology has been around for a couple of years now. I think that its brilliant.

    • @ABonRMS
      @ABonRMS 2 года назад

      Those of you in Yonkers, New York, take notice, the generate electricity with the methane, Lawrence MA also generate electricity. The City of Milwaukee sell theirs commercially, "Milorganite".

  • @jdmj707
    @jdmj707 6 лет назад +2

    Is so nice when you make an episode and it’s actually just about the topic in the title

  • @dankhank6948
    @dankhank6948 6 лет назад +43

    Oh poop! Sorry i'm late.

  • @marisabeltran3084
    @marisabeltran3084 2 года назад +3

    Synthetic fertilizer companies are probably spending money in preventing human waste from being turned into fertilizer.

  • @World_Theory
    @World_Theory 6 лет назад +25

    So it's speculated that bio solids from human poop may not be harmless when used on crops of food meant for human consumption? (I'm going to ignore the worms for now.) And some organizations are looking to use it to make biofuel? Seems like you could just use it for specially designated crops that can be turned into fuel grade alcohol or biodiesel. That way, the crop it's used to grow won't be consumed by humans.

    • @Aereto
      @Aereto 6 лет назад +4

      The issues that make human droppings problematic for use would be the pathogens and medicine. Especially pathogens. No one wants drug resistant cholera or e. coli back to where we eat or drink. No amount of washing veggies would clean that info.

    • @beth8775
      @beth8775 6 лет назад +1

      The WHO says that humanure is safe for any crop after 2 years of proper composting.

    • @kimroberts7458
      @kimroberts7458 6 лет назад +1

      World Theory Don't leave out methane from a biodigester.

    • @johnvanegmond1812
      @johnvanegmond1812 6 лет назад +2

      World Theory Biofuel needs a lot of work yet. It currently takes more than a gallon of fossil fuel to get a gallon of ethanol. And ethanol is a weaker product. Yeah but it burns cleaner. Forgetting the gallon of fossil fuel it took to get the gallon of ethanol.

    • @johnvanegmond1812
      @johnvanegmond1812 6 лет назад +2

      Aereto Don't use pharma. Pee in a bucket. Add 10 parts water. Water your garden. Your plants will love it. If you have close neighbors, don't pee in the front yard. Be discrete.

  • @kimbolinarino9
    @kimbolinarino9 5 лет назад +1

    Thank you for a straight forward no bs video on this topic!

  • @japr1223
    @japr1223 4 года назад +3

    Id be less worried about pathogens and more concerned about pharmaceutical contamination.

  • @brettm.s.1169
    @brettm.s.1169 4 года назад +1

    Clicked on a Recycling Poop video and the first ad was for Hungry Jacks.

  • @Demonwolf666-i4r
    @Demonwolf666-i4r 5 лет назад +5

    So basically,if we all human in the world send our poops to the mars,we can start a new live there 😂😂

  • @thevirtualjim
    @thevirtualjim 6 лет назад +1

    Your shirt is so interesting. Its kind of soothing to look at as I listen to you speak.

  • @briangarrow448
    @briangarrow448 6 лет назад +9

    Heartfelt thanks from your friendly neighborhood wastewater treatment plant professionals. A thoughtful, well written news story on human biosolids is a rare occurrence. And yes, I have far too many poo jokes to share.

  • @dl6317
    @dl6317 Год назад

    Dude you had me rolling with all the one liners. Great video!!

  • @Micaheichelberg
    @Micaheichelberg 6 лет назад +12

    It is helpful to mention that the sale of biosolids subsidizes the infrastructure budget for waste water. It isn't just cheaper, but has the potential for a net gain for some areas.

  • @chrisladouceur4093
    @chrisladouceur4093 6 лет назад +1

    Do a video on MS. Symptoms, diagnosis, testing, prognosis, history, what exactly it is, treatment/future treatment etc.

  • @jadechanboon
    @jadechanboon 3 года назад +4

    That’s how they get world record size plants. I have seen mint leaves become the size of ping pong paddles from a sewage spill.

  • @catherine_404
    @catherine_404 6 лет назад +15

    One of the most widespread causes of crops contamination is manure/poop. It happens all the time, such agricultural disease transmission probably began as soon as humans decided to fertilize with organic trash and poop/manure.
    Using manure, at least from known sources, is great, it does boost crops and it's hugely economical. But mistakes in the process are very costly. Most people growing crops for themselves do not use human poop to fertilize crops because of that, buying processed animal manure instead.
    However, if a traditional outhouse is used which is a hole in the ground with a small building over it, with a hole gradually filling with feces, after it's full, you can cover it with dirt from the next pit you dig, and maybe next year plant something like currant bush over it, which will grow for next five-seven years, and will use the natural fertilizer without anything being contaminated.

    • @catherine_404
      @catherine_404 6 лет назад

      Mark Stumpf-Allen, do you have an alternative to traditional outhouse in rural areas? Keep in mind that a lot of rural people can't afford anything fancy.
      And not THAT terribly polluting. A lot of people have a well and a simple outhouse in opposite sides of plots of about 0,06 hectare (0,15 acre) or somewhat more, and have no problems with their water.

    • @got2kittys
      @got2kittys 6 лет назад

      CatherineZ. Most crop contamination comes from fresh material in fields or water.
      Ag standards are usually "no applications of fresh manure 4 to 6 months before harvest".
      Aerobic composting kills pathogens that can live in people. We are not full of compost. E.coli lives in intestines, not dirt or compost.
      Composting toilets are easily set up to have 0, zero, leakage. Aging a year will give a safe humus that can be used just as any other soil amendment.
      A simple set-up; search for Omick composing toilet here on YT.

    • @catherine_404
      @catherine_404 6 лет назад

      gotnokittys I understand and I agree that it's easy to make it safe, the process is simple enough. But a lot of people are not smart, they don't follow guidelines as much as they should because they don't understand why those rules exist.

    • @zilym
      @zilym 6 лет назад +1

      CatherineZ Yeah, you'd think with all the years of public education forced upon kids, we'd have this problem solved, but I don't remember anybody teaching me about how to properly compost my poop in school, or even how to grow my own food. Why aren't important things taught in our public schools?

    • @laedri7111
      @laedri7111 2 года назад

      @@got2kittys We have fruit trees. Can you give more detailed information? I don't want to make people sick. but I want to use human excrement as fertilizer. How can I compost in the healthiest and safest way?

  • @MasalaMan
    @MasalaMan 6 лет назад +3

    As long as it's safe, I am all for this.

  • @archviator
    @archviator 4 года назад +1

    You have an impressive style of speaking. Especially the part where you say, "We need more!... DATA, not Poop! We've got plenty of poop!..."

  • @Spaminator2277
    @Spaminator2277 6 лет назад +7

    Biosolids are already used to produce energy here in europe. It is almost forbidden to use them for anything else.

  • @scottleft3672
    @scottleft3672 6 лет назад +1

    Roman already taught me how...alternate 3 or 4 fields, using one for sewage drained from public toiltes whilst using lime from burnt limestone or bones for a full seasonal year, then burn the grass in winter and leave it fallow for the next year....then move to the next field and repeat for the next 2 years...the new field is good for a few years of normal production....intensive farming is another thing altogether.

  • @saragorn5033
    @saragorn5033 6 лет назад +235

    Instructions not clear I pooped in my moms flower pot and this will probably be my last youtube comment until I'm 18 thx sci-show

    • @HiatusMobs
      @HiatusMobs 6 лет назад +5

      Meh

    • @NJ-wb1cz
      @NJ-wb1cz 6 лет назад +29

      HiatusMobs, Your words say meh but your smile says heh

    • @mzvibe2232
      @mzvibe2232 6 лет назад +7

      Sar Agorn LMFAO

    • @allisond.46
      @allisond.46 4 года назад +2

      I don't think your mom was happy about that.

  • @Daveoghscope
    @Daveoghscope 5 лет назад +1

    Like how it happens naturally?
    Wow. What a break through.

  • @jacksparrowismydaddy
    @jacksparrowismydaddy 6 лет назад +3

    question, why aren't bihalves used in water purification? in another episode of these series we learned that filtering mollusks like clams, oysters mussels etc can take in heavy metals and soaps with little effect to themselves effectively cleaning the water? being used for water treatment they'd be safe from human consumption and it sounds like they'd be effective.

  • @goneutt
    @goneutt 6 лет назад +1

    There's an issue of phosphorus depletion from farm lands. If you read through late Roman writings, the land near the city was wearing out and farm goods had to come from further away. Similar with London and Paris right before the discovery of guano. Probably the reason Sumerian/Babylonian/Persian capitols kept moving every 500-1000 years.

  • @cweefy
    @cweefy 6 лет назад +3

    this stuff is amazing . i've used it on lawns, shrubs, roses etc. nothing edible.

  • @will75wallace
    @will75wallace 6 лет назад +2

    I used to work for a fertilizer spreading company. Spreading biosolids was always the worst. It was the grossest stuff we used and it always had junk in it like tampon applicators and basically anything people flushed that wasn't easily screened out. Only the most cost conscious farmers used it.

  • @batintheattic7293
    @batintheattic7293 6 лет назад +3

    Addressed my question about what happens to the residue of medications we take! Raised the specter of antibiotic resistant bacteria!
    Didn't address this, though: Is the waste, from people who eat nothing but crisps and biscuits, as good for compost as the waste from people who get their five a day? Is the crisp and biscuit people excrement the stuff that will be used for construction?
    I have digestive tract snobbery! I don't want to eat the fruit and veg that's been grown in the crisp and biscuit person compost.

  • @Kanelle88
    @Kanelle88 6 лет назад +1

    I say use it for areas that have very low nutrients in the soil. I heard there is this one guy growing a forest in the mountains of Tibet. He's been doing it for many years and only have like a couple acres grown. The biggest issue is water but the second biggest issue is the lack of nutrients in the soil. I doubt this is the only place in the world that could use some good old fertilizer. (Maybe the edges of the Sahara?)
    Anyways I enjoyed the video. Informative like always.

  • @Sizukun1
    @Sizukun1 6 лет назад +14

    Can you also make fertilizer using urine? I assume urine and wood ash combine to make ammonia nitrate, which is good for soils. I'm hoping a scientician can explain this to me.

    • @samanthasinardi7320
      @samanthasinardi7320 6 лет назад +1

      Sizukun1 yep! Struvite.... google it ;)

    • @kjamison5951
      @kjamison5951 6 лет назад +1

      A scientician can usually explain most things…

    • @beth8775
      @beth8775 6 лет назад +3

      Yes. You can dilute urine with water to fertilize, but unless composted it's probably best to use this on flowers instead of veggies.

    • @kimroberts7458
      @kimroberts7458 6 лет назад +1

      Plenty do it. Research it.

    • @johnrielley5003
      @johnrielley5003 6 лет назад +3

      It's called biochar. Basically the charcoal from a campfire mixed with urine. Unlike poop, you can use it immediately since urine is sterile.

  • @Rebiai
    @Rebiai 4 года назад +2

    we used it long ago before we got the modern wc . the farmers used to leave it a whole year outside in the air before they used it. the vegetables and fruits original in the area were exellent

  • @amanbk1049
    @amanbk1049 6 лет назад +11

    He he... Uranus is a perfect place for biosolids

    • @sc-ek6qz
      @sc-ek6qz 6 лет назад

      Hey leave my Uranus alone!

    • @matthewcalifana488
      @matthewcalifana488 5 лет назад

      I hear the moon is hollow ---- Lets Fill it Up !

  • @k.ganesanganesan6825
    @k.ganesanganesan6825 5 лет назад +1

    Add fresh green leaves to composting is safer quickly.

  • @musclehank6067
    @musclehank6067 6 лет назад +679

    what happens if you use your feces for a protein shake?!

    • @illustriouschin
      @illustriouschin 6 лет назад +73

      Muscle Hank Our feces is for the weak, you gotta use your own for protein shakes, Muscle Hank.

    • @HedronProduction
      @HedronProduction 6 лет назад +74

      I expected something along the lines of "feces are for the weak, i poop pure protein."

    • @isamuddin1
      @isamuddin1 6 лет назад +6

      Muscle Hank actually japan beat your idea for it , they already created "edible" poo

    • @ganaraminukshuk0
      @ganaraminukshuk0 6 лет назад +2

      I'm sure you can recycle undigested protein from poop...

    • @starshot5172
      @starshot5172 6 лет назад

      Funny

  • @ChaseTerrier
    @ChaseTerrier 3 года назад +1

    In some places on Earth (Haiti), turning human poop into fertilizer is the best option. In Kenya, they turn human poop into charcoal to be used for cooking.

  • @darlenetroise7079
    @darlenetroise7079 6 лет назад +134

    That's how North Koreans use compost, but they don't break it down enough I guess cause that's how they get types of worms.

    • @troubadour1512
      @troubadour1512 6 лет назад +2

      Darlene Troise in Japan too

    • @uniwasamistake6334
      @uniwasamistake6334 6 лет назад +15

      Darlene Troise Traditionally throughout Asia fertilizers were animal(human) manure + leftover plant decomposed together. It was pretty effective.

    • @jeffkingofearth
      @jeffkingofearth 6 лет назад +5

      Pretty cold up there in North Korea . I think they don’t have enough warm weather to compost those poop

    • @jilliansmith7123
      @jilliansmith7123 6 лет назад +3

      Jeffrey Tan: maybe so, and perhaps they use it too soon. It does take some months and heat to properly compost night soil.

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 6 лет назад +1

      Alot of countries do use human poop as fertilizer, but they almost always compost it first and in some areas they only allow it to be used for crops that arent used for human consumption. But yeah, that happens to North Korea quite a bit and is one of the things responsible for their high rate of parasite infections. It also caused some disease outbreaks in China during the Great Leap Forward when they tried to help fight the food shortage by boosting crop yields and even just told people to start pooping right in the crops isntead of using indoor bathrooms or outhouses. China also used bathrooms that were basically an outhouse over a pig pen, and the pigs would... "recycle?" the poop.

  • @ericwoytasek269
    @ericwoytasek269 6 лет назад +2

    You can purchase it a Menards. It's called Milorganite. It is treated sewage sludge sold by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Look it up.

    • @anthonythorp7291
      @anthonythorp7291 5 лет назад

      A lot of people don't know that. You can also buy Zoo poo. Both work as fertilizer and animal deterants.

  • @johnbagel2560
    @johnbagel2560 6 лет назад +283

    *Oh joy I just can’t wait for an excuse for the comments to blow up with punny poop jokes*

    • @novastar3990
      @novastar3990 6 лет назад +21

      Just don’t make a big stink about it.

    • @schadenfreudebuddha
      @schadenfreudebuddha 6 лет назад +24

      if you're not selling your biosolids, you're just flushing money down the drain.

    • @Valdagast
      @Valdagast 6 лет назад +5

      Poop.

    • @Stacy_Smith
      @Stacy_Smith 6 лет назад +1

      ...or funny foop jokes!

    • @Altered_Alchemist
      @Altered_Alchemist 6 лет назад +17

      Thats kinda crappy guys

  • @margaretmorey3154
    @margaretmorey3154 6 лет назад

    Tacoma, Washington makes a product called "Tagro" from biosolids. The biosolids go thru a 12 step aerobic/anaerobic composting process. It's tested for pharmaceuticals and heavy metals, and have won several awards. I use the compost on my flower beds every Spring and have used the Tagro potting soil in my containers and to build new raised beds.

  • @combatking0
    @combatking0 6 лет назад +7

    Worms with pharmaceuticals? Even hermaphrodite annelids need to look good on a night out.

  • @frighteningspoon
    @frighteningspoon 6 лет назад +1

    video idea: What's an itch and what causes it? (physical)

  • @condorboss3339
    @condorboss3339 6 лет назад +40

    Using biosolids as fertilizers might make the Mars *colon* y a little 'Musky.'

    • @mzvibe2232
      @mzvibe2232 6 лет назад +1

      Condor Boss Elon would find this funny being a muskrat n all😂😂😂😂

    • @matthewcalifana488
      @matthewcalifana488 5 лет назад

      Elon Musky ?

  • @TheNoodlyAppendage
    @TheNoodlyAppendage 6 лет назад +1

    Yep, Humanure. I mix mine with chicken poop and existing topsoil, then compost it for 6 months in buckets. After that I flip the bucket over and let it sit for another year. The worms in the soil turn it into dark rich topsoil and its not even recognizable as poop.

  • @Leongon
    @Leongon 6 лет назад +8

    My dog (rip) used to fertilize himself by eating the cats poop.

  • @benbrown8258
    @benbrown8258 3 года назад +2

    Dealing with microbes is relatively easy. Dealing with Pharmaceuticals is somewhat more challenging. But dealing with industrial chemicals and heavy metals that cause cancer is much harder. It's also purposely less spoken about.

  • @kewakl8891
    @kewakl8891 6 лет назад +6

    @3:12 yeah but monsanto will go all apeshit on us.

  • @cubaniton74
    @cubaniton74 5 лет назад +1

    I once lived in a house with a small block and concrete septic tank in the backyard, and it used to spill the content (dirty water) often into the yard, and I tell you, the coconut tree that was near by, within 3 years began to produce fruit at waist high, and other fruit trees near by also used to produce the sweetest fruits ever, no B.S., only human LOL.

    • @knockhello2604
      @knockhello2604 4 года назад

      Damn

    • @knockhello2604
      @knockhello2604 4 года назад +1

      Wouldn't the nutrients not be concentrated?

    • @cubaniton74
      @cubaniton74 4 года назад

      @@knockhello2604 The water went into the ground and the trees were probably 10 to 20 feet away, so it was not directly next to the trees.

  • @lunacouer
    @lunacouer 6 лет назад +5

    My grandfather was in the US Army, and he, my grandma and mom were stationed in Germany in 1946 or 1947. My grandma told me about how they had to grow their own garden to eat, and yup, they had to use their poop for fertilizer. So, everything, and I mean everything, had to be boiled, including their water, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. A lot of canning, in other words. The infrastructure was just being rebuilt, so they all made due.

    • @anthonythorp7291
      @anthonythorp7291 5 лет назад +1

      People are doing it right now in US. Some have them off grid burning toilets and others a bucket. Out to the garden it goes.
      Would you like a fresh tomato? No thank you.

    • @gillenzfluff8380
      @gillenzfluff8380 5 лет назад

      I grow tomatoes in coco coir and watered down urine it's perfectly safe and the tomatoes taste much better than shop brought rubbish.
      You don't have to boil everything grown in urine and you can use urine fertilizer on flowers and green manure and use them composted for next year's vegetables.
      Tomatoes grown with urine have more vitamins and minerals and protein than tomatoes grown in commercial fertilizers.

  • @GBEZ
    @GBEZ Год назад +2

    I wonder why methane digesters are not mentioned here? Or did I somehow miss that? As a fuel source, it’s a seriously underutilized opportunity. Small scale farmers are finding huge benefits to their bottom line with them, and it’s worth mentioning in conjunction with this video. As always, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND AMAZING CONTENT!

    • @snowyrain5730
      @snowyrain5730 Год назад

      The same reason why you'll end up taking a dirt nap yourself if you come up with a car that will run on anything but gas (or electricity).
      That would be positive progress, and that's not allowed in our society.

  • @woden__
    @woden__ 5 лет назад +1

    Herbology/natural remedies would probably reduce the likelyhood of superbugs, plus its healthier to use as we then aren't ingesting the pure substance of something

  • @allluckyseven
    @allluckyseven 6 лет назад +244

    So I guess this was a ShitShow?
    In the best possible way, of course.

  • @ZsOtherBrother
    @ZsOtherBrother 6 лет назад

    Human feces are a valuable resource when treated and used correctly and responsibly.
    Joseph Jenkins wrote "The Humanure Handbook", which explains just about every aspect of this topic.
    As for the problem of pharmaceuticals in human feces, especially antibiotics, that issue should be solved as "close to the source" as possible, meaning: we should stop our own overuse of antibiotics! (and other drugs as well).
    Overuse of antibiotics causes the creation, or evolution, of antibiotics resistant disease, and it may also kill or weaken composting organisms in treatment facilities, or in your domestic compost heap.
    Overuse of anything usually has undesirable consequences, and the way to determine what should be considered "sufficient", "optimal", and "excessive" starts with educating ourselves.
    Many thanks to SciShow for helping to spread the knowledge :)

  • @schtinky1151
    @schtinky1151 6 лет назад +6

    I'm here to ask the real questions.
    _why does my cat like having his armpits rubbed??_

  • @Prizzlesticks
    @Prizzlesticks 6 лет назад +1

    Back in the day, the sewage treatment plant in my city exploded with three workers on site. Two were injured but fine. The third fell into the sewage stew. No spoilers, but he died. It took three days to drain the plant enough to retrieve his body, which was just a skeleton at that point.
    People talk about the worst way to die, but I honestly can't think of anything worse than drowning and boiling alive in a pressurized well of poop.
    ...But anyway! I've actually wondered this question many times, so it was really cool to see a video on the topic. I was totally down with the green recycling until you mentioned superbugs, of which I have an extreme phobia. (I won't even use antibacterial soap. I'll burn my hands under hot water and scrub if I have to.) I'm not sure I'd advocate implementing a human poo fertilizer initiative until we had solid methods against creating antibacterial resistant monstrosities. o_o (It's MRSA. I'm terrified of MRSA.)

  • @reallynotrob4897
    @reallynotrob4897 6 лет назад +4

    Who else clicked while making fertilizer

  • @darrell9546
    @darrell9546 6 лет назад

    People sometimes use stabilized/digested sludge (end result of sewage treatment) on their lawns as a fertilizer or soil conditioner. They discover that tomato seeds make it through the sludge-making process and sprout in the lawns, resulting in hundreds or thousands of tomato plants grown in the yards.

  • @melissamoore6539
    @melissamoore6539 6 лет назад +3

    I'm doing my PhD in this! Waste to energy woop woop!!

    • @laedri7111
      @laedri7111 2 года назад +1

      How is composting done and how long does it take? I will be glad if you give details. I'm thinking of using it for our fruit trees. I'm asking because I don't want my fruit to make people sick.

  • @Roxor128
    @Roxor128 6 лет назад

    Here's a thought regarding how to break down most of the contaminants: Pyrolysis. Heat organic material to around 500 degrees and you get a mixture of 20% syngas, 60% bio-oil and 20% biochar. The syngas and bio-oil can be used for chemical processes or fuel, while the biochar can be used as fertiliser.

  • @johnmichaelandales5233
    @johnmichaelandales5233 5 лет назад +13

    "they could make the biggest difference in countries that struggle with sanitation" (I'm looking at you india)

    • @knockhello2604
      @knockhello2604 4 года назад +2

      Damn

    • @TheFourthWinchester
      @TheFourthWinchester 3 года назад +2

      Racist. Indians were the first ones to have massive sanitation systems when the rest of the world pooped on the ground.

  • @bradlyjordan5673
    @bradlyjordan5673 6 лет назад +1

    This is a very interesting video, it has several different arguable sides. To start, it could be argued that biosolids aren't actually better for the environment due to the existence of non-point source pollution from farmland. This would lead to all of the excess nutrients and emerging contaminants entering the native stream ecosystem rather than just (somewhat) safely decomposing in a properly sealed landfill. But on the other hand, it could be argued that fertilizer infiltration would happen either way, as farmers will just use another source. Great video, and I wouldn't mind a follow up video on the growing presence of emerging contaminants! Going into stream toxicology, this is one of the largest threats we may have in the future, and the general public knows little to nothing about it.

  • @SaraMakesArt
    @SaraMakesArt 6 лет назад +201

    I'm not surprised that human feces can be used as fertilizer. In nature poop is used as fertilizer all the time. I think diet would have to be taken into consideration, though. A lot of people in North America eat diets that are not nourishing to them, so I imagine they wouldn't be nourishing to the soil either.

    • @SaraMakesArt
      @SaraMakesArt 6 лет назад +4

      Doctor Obscure I guess that's good news for the soil.

    • @abonynge
      @abonynge 6 лет назад +12

      SDD525 That's not diet, that is chemical contaminant.

    • @MisterLepton
      @MisterLepton 6 лет назад +41

      Sara Makes Art uhhhh... the average American gets way more than enough nutrients than is needed. Otherwise we’d be seeing people everywhere dying of scurvy, anemia, etc.

    • @MisterLepton
      @MisterLepton 6 лет назад +14

      Doctor Obscure “the bad stuff tends to stay in the body”
      I feel like I’ve just been run over by a short bus.

    • @karinneeskens
      @karinneeskens 6 лет назад +3

      Sara Makes Art Did you even watch the video?

  • @mossymaple
    @mossymaple 3 года назад +1

    The HUMANURE HANDBOOK IS AREAL BOOK AND A BEST SELLER!

  • @mdamaged
    @mdamaged 6 лет назад +62

    Regulated by the EPA...the EPA...EPA...Scott Pruitt, oh god, no.

    • @JeshikaKazeno
      @JeshikaKazeno 6 лет назад +7

      EPA! EEEEEEPAAAAAAAA!!!

    • @kevinmael3862
      @kevinmael3862 6 лет назад +1

      Damaged Industries maybe scott needs more poop.

    • @trumpetpunk42
      @trumpetpunk42 6 лет назад +5

      Exactly. Some people when you say "regulated" hear "safe." I hear "all f'd up by the government"

    • @EchoL0C0
      @EchoL0C0 6 лет назад +10

      trumpetpunk42
      And when I hear deregulation I think of the Great Depression, horizontal and vertical monopolies, awful working conditions, and a lack of worker’s rights.
      Scott just happens to want to destroy the EPA.

    • @HunterShows
      @HunterShows 6 лет назад +3

      If a chemical doesn't kill you, it probably made you stronger! -Scott Pruitt

  • @HeatherRawVeganHenry
    @HeatherRawVeganHenry 3 года назад +2

    This is the house that poop built. Catchy! I bet it would be amazing tho!

    • @alfredsuhrbier4166
      @alfredsuhrbier4166 3 года назад

      Many years ago, my aunt pooped always in her garden. 😭😱🥵 What do you think ???

  • @combatking0
    @combatking0 6 лет назад +14

    Now I know how to grow better shitake mushrooms.

  • @hyaramos9668
    @hyaramos9668 4 года назад

    HANK GREEN IS THAT YOU??‼️‼️ I REALLY THINK IT'S YOU...I DO RECOGNIZE YOUR VOICE 100% ..... I USED TO WATCH CRASH COURSE IN MY SENIOR YEAR I. HIGH SCHOOL THOUGH I STILL LISTEN TO THEM FROM TIME TO TIME... SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE 💖💖💖💖💖

  • @iiiiii4064
    @iiiiii4064 6 лет назад +5

    Magic

  • @matheuscardoso1
    @matheuscardoso1 5 лет назад

    This is the video I have always waited for

  • @Babarudra
    @Babarudra 6 лет назад +31

    It's actually pretty shitty as a fertilizer compared to other manures.

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 6 лет назад +2

      Yeah, any carnivore poop is usually fairly devoid of useful nutrients since most of our food is very easy to digest (alot of sugar and protein). Our urine is very good for plants though, but the poop is pretty useless. That's why grass will often die around cat and dog poop.

    • @walkingmonument
      @walkingmonument 6 лет назад +4

      @@arthas640 so change your damn diet

    • @matthewcalifana488
      @matthewcalifana488 5 лет назад

      Is Bird (chicken) Best ?

    • @woden__
      @woden__ 5 лет назад

      But if everybody, not necessarily be vegan but eat a lot healthier, not only would our mental, physical and emotional health benefit, the fertilizers would be much more useful

    • @samuelthornton9179
      @samuelthornton9179 4 года назад

      @@woden__ it's more to do with the diseases that the quality as their would be disease from the plant, the animal you are and you.

  • @Josechpruiz
    @Josechpruiz 5 лет назад +1

    That's how they grow "organic vegetables"

  • @eternal8song
    @eternal8song 6 лет назад +12

    I watched this while pooping

  • @TetraSky
    @TetraSky 6 лет назад +2

    When I worked at a food bank, I once had to shovel bags of potatoes off a pallet, that were so rotten, they were creating heat(and a ton of smell) that you could feel radiating from it from a good meter away... They were already old considering they were donations, but they rotted so quickly it was ridiculous.(over the week end, from not so bad on friday to god awful on monday)

  • @vannaringle9224
    @vannaringle9224 6 лет назад +5

    Is there any kind of scientific reason behind why people like the music that they like?

    • @zachwax22
      @zachwax22 6 лет назад +5

      Sam Ringle Mostly what you're used to, and the similarities with what you grew up to.

    • @Enleuk
      @Enleuk 6 лет назад

      Music itself is repetition and change, indeed every sound is a wave whose frequency is a measure of its repetition, so it makes sense that similarities, or what you're used to, forms the basis of your taste, with that tiny difference added that makes it interesting. Of course, the same is true for how our taste in food develops and that has nothing to with repetitions like sound frequency so maybe that's just a coincidence unless we look at consciousness as a wave rather than as a thing.

    • @celinak5062
      @celinak5062 6 лет назад

      Sam Ringle
      I already told you, Sideways has done videos on this subject

    • @nihilisticpancakeface6553
      @nihilisticpancakeface6553 6 лет назад

      Homo sapiens so simple alternating patterns in the sound spectrum gives them different emotions

    • @jiggabojanglez5595
      @jiggabojanglez5595 6 лет назад

      Millenial whoop

  • @colonelradec5956
    @colonelradec5956 10 месяцев назад

    Been doing it for years in my neighboors garden. It looks great.

  • @MrBigStoop
    @MrBigStoop 6 лет назад +9

    I used to deliver bio-solid human poop, in a dry, sterile, pelletised form from Aesops, Irvine, Scotland back in the day... 😉

    • @MrBigStoop
      @MrBigStoop 6 лет назад +2

      Most is burned in a power plant at Daldowie, Scotland. 😉

    • @arthas640
      @arthas640 6 лет назад +2

      sounds like a shitty job ;-)

    • @angrypastabrewing
      @angrypastabrewing 4 года назад

      Arthas Menethil it’s a dirty job but someone gots to do it

  • @ericafiore1624
    @ericafiore1624 2 года назад +1

    You can also change methane to harmless natural gas.

  • @Michaelrandom27
    @Michaelrandom27 6 лет назад +3

    It's fungi, not funji.

  • @DarshKP666
    @DarshKP666 6 лет назад +1

    5:18 makes me laugh out loud for his choice of words. 😅😅

  • @theultimatereductionist7592
    @theultimatereductionist7592 6 лет назад +3

    WTF difference does it matter that pharmaceutical drugs end up in compost?
    EVERYthing gets broken down by microbes to very simple non-toxic compounds.

    • @suryamohan3410
      @suryamohan3410 4 года назад +1

      well a superbug might survive and spread and say hypothetically a issue of the global scale involving a superbug might occur