Facile and simultaneous separation of nitrogen, phosphorus and bacteria from urine by using ash depth filters which harvest ammonium and phosphate as Struvite Enriched Ash

Ash depth filters were developed which can simultaneously remove nitrogen, phosphorus and bacteria from human waste streams while simultaneously maintaining a flow rate which is acceptable for domestic use processing urine from one individual for 1 month if the filter bed has a volume of approximately 3 l. Nitrogen and phosphorus depletion is achieved by the formation of Struvite Enriched Ash, which can subsequently be used as a slow-release garden fertilizer. Depth filtration and sanitation by high pH removed all detectable bacteria from this home-based system.