PeeCycling: Make Phosphorus From Your Own Pee

By
Lloyd Alter
Lloyd Alter
Design Editor
  • University of Toronto
Lloyd Alter is Design Editor for Treehugger and teaches Sustainable Design at Ryerson University in Toronto.
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Lloyd Alter
Updated October 11, 2018
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The Alchemist (The Discovery of Phosphorus Through Henning Fire in Hamburg 1669)

Here is a weekend project for Sami, TreeHugger's champion peecycler: make phosphorus from your own urine! It's toxic and explosive in its pure form, but chemistry is fun, right? IO9 describes the process:

First, you should allow some urine (preferably your own but I don't judge) to sit in an open container for about a week. Keep it in a room away from people. During this week, get some charcoal and grind it up into very very fine powder. You should make about two tablespoons of powder. Also get two tablespoons of powdered cinnamon. Mix the powders together.
kid with chemistry set

You then mix the urine with the tasty powder and heat it in a retort like that kid in the chemistry set has. IO9 suggests that you wear protective clothing and eye protection, and don't breathe, because "Urine contains urea, and that breaks down into ammonia. You want to be careful with your exposure." Oh, and keep it under water or it will spontaneously ignite.

Then again, Sami, maybe this isn't such a good idea.