Would you drink beer made from URINE? Scientists create 'sewer to brewer' machine that turns pee into a drinkable beverage

·         The machine uses solar energy to heat the urine in a tank

·         This is then filtered through a membrane to retrieve the drinkable water

·         Researchers say their technique could be used to bring drinking water which can then be used to brew beer

After a few beers, you can find yourself needing to rush to the toilet to relieve yourself. 

But there may soon be a way to reverse this process, using urine to relieve thirst. 

Researchers have created a device that uses solar energy to turn urine into drinkable water, which can then be used to brew beer. 

The team of scientists at Ghent University say their technique could be applied in rural areas and developing countries. 

While other options for treating waste water already exist, the researchers say their new system is more energy-efficient and could be applied in areas off the electricity grid.

Dr Sebastiaan Derese, who worked on the device, said: 'We're able to recover fertilizer and drinking water from urine using just a simple process and solar energy.'

The device collects urine in a large tank, heating it using a solar-powered boiler. 

The heated urine then passes through a membrane, which separates out the water, as well as nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. 

FROM SEWER TO BREWER 

The device collects urine in a large tank, heating it using a solar-powered boiler.

The heated urine then passes through a membrane, which separates out the water, as well as nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous.

The nutrients collected can then be used to make fertilisers. 

Water collected can be used to brew beer.

The nutrients collected can then be used to make fertilisers. 

Using the slogan #peeforscience, the team recently deployed the machine at a 10-day music and theatre festival in central Ghent. 

There, they were able to recover 1,000 litres of water from the urine of revellers.

Quite fittingly, the water from the festival will now be used to make one of Belgium's most coveted specialities - beer. 

Dr Derese said: 'We call it from sewer to brewer.'

While the device could be used in sports venues or even airports to transform collected urine into water, the researchers hope that it could have longer term uses. 

Dr Derese added that the team hope to take the machine to rural communities in the developing world where fertilisers and reliable drinking water are short in supply. 

USING URINE TO CHARGE YOUR PHONE 

British scientists have created a new way to charge smartphones - using urine.

Researchers have revealed a new system which transforms urine into electricity using a microbial fuel cell.

Just over half a litre of urine is enough for six hours of charge time, which can power a smartphone for three hours.

The units contain bacteria that breaks down the chemicals in urine, in the process releasing energy in the form of electricity which is stored on a capacitor within a fuel cell.

'The microbial fuel cells (MFC) work by employing live microbes which feed on urine for their own growth and maintenance,' explained Professor Ioannis  Ieropoulos.

'The MFC is, in effect, a system which taps a portion of that biochemical energy.

'This technology is about as green as it gets, as we do not need to utilise fossil fuels and we are effectively using a waste product that will be in plentiful supply.'