Benchmarks for urine volume generation and phosphorus mass recovery in commercial and institutional buildings

Crane, Lucas; Merck, Ashton; Delanthamajalu, Shwetha; Grieger, Khara; Marshall, Anna-Maria; Boyer, Treavor H.

doi:10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100227

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 55 publications

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“…This perspective focuses on the UD system-of-systems and applicable regulatory regimes for commercial and institutional (CI) buildings in the United States. We focus on CI buildings in the U.S. because of the higher potential for urine recovery from CI buildings relative to residences [27]. We also suspect that addressing regulatory barriers in CI buildings could create a regulatory 'ratchet to the top,' in which improvements in one influential jurisdiction or sector can lead to improvements on a broader scale [28].…”

Section: Overview Of Urine Diversion Systems and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Researchers must address regulatory regimes to scale up adoption of urine diversion systems in the U.S.

Merck,

Grieger,

Crane

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain.

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Urine diversion (UD) is a system-of-systems that involves source separation of waste to maximize recovery of valuable nutrients, including phosphorus. Recent research shows how UD systems offer valuable ecological benefits and can aid in water conservation efforts, and public perception studies suggest that UD systems are generally viewed positively by end-users and the general public. Nevertheless, adoption and implementation of this promising sustainability solution remains limited in many countries, including the United States (U.S.). In this perspective, we argue that in order to scale up adoption in the U.S., UD researchers and innovators must do more to address regulatory barriers. We draw on insights from political science research on ‘regulatory regimes’ to introduce the array of regulations that apply to UD systems, with a focus on commercial and institutional buildings. We examine regulatory regimes all along the UD system-of-systems, beginning at the point of collection and ending at the point of beneficial reuse. We then propose next steps to address current regulatory challenges that impact adoption, with an emphasis on the importance of stakeholder coordination. Throughout, we argue that law and regulation plays a critical role in shaping adoption of UD technologies because: (1) different regulatory regimes will be important at different points in the system-of-systems, (2) there may be multiple regulatory regimes that apply to a single subsystem, and (3) it is important to consider that legal and regulatory definitions of a technology may not match scientific understanding.

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Section: Overview Of Urine Diversion Systems and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Researchers must address regulatory regimes to scale up adoption of urine diversion systems in the U.S.

Merck,

Grieger,

Crane

et al. 2024

Environ. Res.: Infrastruct. Sustain.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Multi-stage recovery of ammonia–potassium liquid fertilizer and phosphate mineral from real human urine

Atsbha,

Nir,

Boyer

2025

Separation and Purification Technology

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Acid Dosing Increases Recoverable Phosphorus during Different Occupancy Conditions in Full-Scale Urine Diversion System

Crane,

Saetta,

Boyer

2024

ACS EST Eng.

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Phosphorus (P) is a finite resource used in fertilizers. Urine contains high concentrations of P that can be recovered using urine diversion (UD), but current UD systems become clogged by P precipitation in piping, inhibiting their operations and reducing recoverable P. Dosing systems with acetic acid can prevent precipitation, resulting in more available nutrients for recovery. This study monitored a full-scale multistory UD system and implemented acid dosing to prevent clogging and produce urine suitable for P recovery. Both baseline (i.e., no acid) and acid dosing conditions were tested during normal and below-normal occupancies. In baseline systems, urine collected during below-normal occupancy had higher pH and greater nutrient losses compared to during normal occupancy. However, during both occupancies, baseline systems had clogs that decoupled occupancy patterns from urine collection in the tank and lowered the mass of recoverable P. During both occupancies, acid dosing dissolved pre-existing precipitate, resulting in ∼10× greater recoverable P than in baseline systems, and partially stabilized urine (>10%) and lowered pH (<9) until ∼7 days of operation, suggesting that urine can be immediately treated once the storage tank is full. The results demonstrate that acid dosing can prevent operation challenges in UD, improving UD’s technology readiness.

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Benchmarks for urine volume generation and phosphorus mass recovery in commercial and institutional buildings

Cited by 5 publications

References 55 publications

Researchers must address regulatory regimes to scale up adoption of urine diversion systems in the U.S.

Researchers must address regulatory regimes to scale up adoption of urine diversion systems in the U.S.

Multi-stage recovery of ammonia–potassium liquid fertilizer and phosphate mineral from real human urine

Acid Dosing Increases Recoverable Phosphorus during Different Occupancy Conditions in Full-Scale Urine Diversion System

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