human #urine can substantially vary from acidic (pH 4.5) to alkaline (pH 8) #medicine #paper
“BioGrout” uses denitrifying bacteria to stabilize soil, producing only nitrogen as a by-product. Explains that Whiffin et al. 2005, Ivanov & Chu 2008, and DeJong et al. 2009 are doing “microbially induced carbonate precipitation (#MICP)” from a solution of urea and calcium chloride, producing ammonia rather than nitrogen, and have to inject their bacteria after growing them in a bioreactor. BioGrout, instead, uses calcium acetate (100 mmol/ℓ) and calcium nitrate (120 mmol/ℓ) over a few months with the existing soil bacteria. #pdf #paper
a forum thread about Magnus Larsson’s Sahara anti-desertification project on #MICP using urea and #Bacillus-pasteurii.
using #MICP with #Bacillus-pasteurii to heal cracks in portland-cement #concrete.
#Bacillus-pasteurii, used in some #MICP systems, is now called Sporosarcina pasteurii.
"MICP"
is using #biocement to make bricks out of sand (“bioBRICK”, company “bioMASON”). The process takes “a few days”. They claim a trademark on the term “biocement”.
TED talk by Magnus Larsson about #MICP.
Another paper about “BioGrout” #MICP, this time using urea and calcium chloride and Sporosarcina pasteurii (previously known as #Bacillus-pasteurii.) This #pdf #paper reports results of strength tests.
an overview of #MICP for seismic soil stabilization and Magnus Larsson’s project.
Peter Trimble built a portable #MICP machine called “Dupe” to make stools out of sandstone and urine.
Wired on Peter Trimble’s #MICP project, “Dupe”. Apparently you need 100ℓ of urine per stool.
an 1890 #paper on the “ammoniacal fermentation of urine”, which is what’s happening in urea-based #MICP. Mentions that actually bacilli were “very rarely found”, and mostly “micrococci” are responsible for the production of ammonia from urine.
apparently the universities are against the election of Macri as #presidente2015 because they think he will defund research. “Hoy integramos Conicet un total de 9.507 becarios, 8.508 investigadores, 2.425 técnicos y 1.371 administrativos.”
the major cause of condom #contraceptives failure is not wearing a condom; condoms are 98% effective when you wear them. Not sure about breakage and falling off.
#solar #photovoltaic #energy is only four times less CO₂ intensive than conventional grid electricity if the panels are made in China and installed in northern Europe, assuming you don’t have to worry about intermittency.
Erika Moen’s famous #comic about being a “dyke with a boyfriend”. #queer