2-In-1 Device Uses Sewage as Fuel to Make Electricity & Clean the Sewage

[silverweb]

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]This looks really interesting and hopeful!

Scientists have described a new and more efficient version of an innovative device the size of a home washing machine that uses bacteria growing in municipal sewage to make electricity and clean up the sewage at the same time. Their report at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in San Diego on March 28 suggested that commercial versions of the two-in-one device could be a boon for the developing world and water-short parts of the U.S.

"Our prototype incorporates innovations so that it can process five times more sewage six times more efficiently at half the cost of its predecessors," said Orianna Bretschger, Ph.D., who presented a report on the improved technology at the ACS meeting.

"We've improved its energy recovery capacity from about 2 percent to as much as 13 percent, which is a great step in the right direction. That actually puts us in a realm where we could produce a meaningful amount of electricity if this technology is implemented commercially. Eventually, we could have wastewater treatment for free. That could mean availability for cleaner water in the developing world, or in southern California and other water-short areas of the United States through the use of more wastewater recycling technologies," she said.

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On edit: Link isn't showing up, so here's the long version: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120328203620.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

[longship]

1. Heard about this a few months ago

It looks like a good technology and is apparently, and most importantly, scalable.

Like to see this in, for instance, Detroit. Fed research dollars well spent if you ask me.

Thanks for posting.

[silverweb]

2. Definitely agree!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Every time I see something like this, I feel a twinge of hope and picture units everywhere.

Let's hope they scale it up fast. We're out of time for monkeying around re the environment!