If humans are to return to the moon, space agencies and governments need to figure out the legal, ethical, and practical dimensions of extraterrestrial waste management.
We dont fertilize our agriculture with human waste as is, there are far too many diseases and such to be transmitted. I believe the north koreans are doing this, and are often suffering from parasites and disease transmitted this way.
To use it on the moon they would need bioprocessors first that break down the waste thoroughly
Yes of course, not utilizing the resources in the waste is entirely illogical in a zero resources environment. Just that we would probably run it through some sort of purification system first to break down the dangerous contents
Its perfectly possible to use human waste as a fertilizer, on earth you just need to compost it for around two years to make sure that the pathogens are gone.
As someone said on the moon the process might just be to leave it outside for a bit and you get a perfectly sterile pile of fertilizer
We dont fertilize our agriculture with human waste as is, there are far too many diseases and such to be transmitted. I believe the north koreans are doing this, and are often suffering from parasites and disease transmitted this way.
To use it on the moon they would need bioprocessors first that break down the waste thoroughly
Just put it outside for a while; it’ll freeze-dry and get sterilized.
(I didn’t come up with this insight; I heard it in a video analyzing the plausibility of The Martian.)
Add in some solar exposure and not much survives, from what I’ve read.
It’s a hell storm of radiation up there with no magnetosphere or atmosphere.
Yeah of course, but sterilizing it is going to be way way easier than bringing up dirt from earth.
Any organic matter would be used.
Yes of course, not utilizing the resources in the waste is entirely illogical in a zero resources environment. Just that we would probably run it through some sort of purification system first to break down the dangerous contents
Its perfectly possible to use human waste as a fertilizer, on earth you just need to compost it for around two years to make sure that the pathogens are gone.
As someone said on the moon the process might just be to leave it outside for a bit and you get a perfectly sterile pile of fertilizer