Culture
A Better Way to Turn Poop Into Energy
Scientists at Virginia Tech have unlocked a key aspect of how bacteria turn sewage into electricity.
Yes, poop is smelly and gross, but it’s also a solid source of energy. In India, for example, cow dung has been used for decades to light up villages, heat homes, and cook. It’s such a popular source of fuel that cow-poop cakes started selling online.
All that stuff we flush down our human toilets also contains a lot of usable energy. A new study published in Scientific Reports uncovers key insights about the process by which bacteria turn refuse into electricity, which can help maximize the amount of energy derived from sewage.