Microbial fuel cell centric nutrient rebalancing and recycling from human waste in space missions
Microbial fuel cell centric nutrient rebalancing and recycling from human waste in space missions
Efficient human waste management and hygiene maintenance are vital for long-duration space missions. By using bioelectrochemical systems, specifically microbial fuel cells (MFCs) combined with hydroponics, human waste can potentially be converted into a valuable commodity. Recent advancements in MFCs indicate a significant potential for generating electricity (1–2 mW/single MFC/ml of urine) and biofertilisers concurrently from urine and sewage while suppressing human pathogens that may be present. Integrating MFCs with hydroponics opens up the possibility to balance nutrients in human waste while growing vegetables in MFC-powered hydroponic systems, using only a small percentage of synthetic fertilisers, if deemed necessary. This is a concise perspective of the potential of MFCs for nutrient recycling from human waste and vegetable production that could enhance the self-sustainability of a spacecraft or mission.
125-129
Moreno, Daniela Zertuche
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Singh, Aradhana
1989f1cd-8561-417b-a7c0-c540910f4bd9
Nath, Dibyojyoty
49f9c27b-09ac-45da-b4e0-f5cabeb61c9a
Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
17 November 2025
Moreno, Daniela Zertuche
1a34ba9f-4b0d-44be-bdd7-377077668ad1
Singh, Aradhana
1989f1cd-8561-417b-a7c0-c540910f4bd9
Nath, Dibyojyoty
49f9c27b-09ac-45da-b4e0-f5cabeb61c9a
Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
Moreno, Daniela Zertuche, Singh, Aradhana, Nath, Dibyojyoty and Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
(2025)
Microbial fuel cell centric nutrient rebalancing and recycling from human waste in space missions.
Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 8 (3), .
(doi:10.1042/ETLS20240003).
Abstract
Efficient human waste management and hygiene maintenance are vital for long-duration space missions. By using bioelectrochemical systems, specifically microbial fuel cells (MFCs) combined with hydroponics, human waste can potentially be converted into a valuable commodity. Recent advancements in MFCs indicate a significant potential for generating electricity (1–2 mW/single MFC/ml of urine) and biofertilisers concurrently from urine and sewage while suppressing human pathogens that may be present. Integrating MFCs with hydroponics opens up the possibility to balance nutrients in human waste while growing vegetables in MFC-powered hydroponic systems, using only a small percentage of synthetic fertilisers, if deemed necessary. This is a concise perspective of the potential of MFCs for nutrient recycling from human waste and vegetable production that could enhance the self-sustainability of a spacecraft or mission.
Text
etls-2024-0003
- Version of Record
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Accepted/In Press date: 19 August 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 September 2025
Published date: 17 November 2025
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 508562
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508562
ISSN: 2397-8562
PURE UUID: 7d6e1f29-0463-4ec1-8439-dd4e47ccd38f
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Date deposited: 27 Jan 2026 17:42
Last modified: 28 Jan 2026 04:31
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Contributors
Author:
Daniela Zertuche Moreno
Author:
Aradhana Singh
Author:
Dibyojyoty Nath
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