Green Living: Poop Power?

People who enjoy green living will one day be able to tap into or generate electrical power through their own biological waste materials. World wide, it could become a productive alternative to waste management in the very near future; and it could make a huge difference in the lives of people who live in developing countries. In some cities in our own country, and in other countries around the world electricity is being generated through sewage powered treatment plants that digest waste products in their generators. The generators operate similarly to the way the body works to break down the food we eat, and the electrons of the final products of the waste are carried through the components of the generator and stored into a microbial fuel cell.

Our planet is the only place we have to live, and if concerned people were not finding ways to clean our planet up, we would have one big waste dump in time. But as more people want to clean up our environment, they are finding ways to make biofuels from our waste products. One day energy made from human waste products may be as commonplace as solar energy is today. The microbial fuel cell harnesses electrons from the chemical breakdown of human waste. Sewage processing plants may one day be the leader in making biofuels and electricity, and in the process leaving clean water in its wake.

How is electricity made?

Electricity comes from the electrons that are located within the bacteria that digest the waste products. The electrons are in the mitochondria of the bacteria cells. The mitochondria are microscopic powerhouses, and are part of the respiratory system of the bacteria. What happens is, human waste is biodegradable, and it will go to a digester in a processing plant, which biodegrades the waste into its chemical components. Methane is the primary precipitant from the chemical breakdown, which is then broken down further to produce electricity. In the digester, the bacteria work away eating the solid waste and methane is released, and at the same time the volume of solid waste is reduced.