{"id":16007,"date":"2013-08-21T19:08:09","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T19:08:09","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2013-08-21T20:08:44","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T20:08:44","slug":"Chinese-scientists-asked-to-improve-toilet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=16007","title":{"rendered":"Chinese scientists asked to improve toilet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bill Gates is asking Chinese researchers to explore “poop power” in a project worth $5 million, according to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The foundation announced today in Beijing it will allocate grants to select applicants to re-engineer the common toilet to be more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each grantee would receive between $100,000 to $500,000 to realize their toilet designs<\/strong>, said Professor Li Zifu, with the University of Science & Technology Beijing, which has been entrusted to implement the project.<\/p>\n

Doulaye Kone, senior program officer of water, sanitation and hygiene with the foundation, said, “China is the first country we have launched such an independent grant<\/strong>, and we hope this will improve access among Chinese inventors to the project.”<\/p>\n

Previously, the foundation launched a global campaign in July 2011 to prompt innovation of a more sustainable toilet.<\/strong> The California Institute of Technology in the United States received a $100,000 first prize for a solar-powered design, which could transform waste into hydrogen gas and electricity.<\/p>\n

Few applications from China were received in 2011 probably due to language barriers<\/strong>, according to Kone, who added that cultural backgrounds and needs should be considered for practical designs.<\/p>\n

“The China project is expected to produce designs which better meet demands in China<\/strong> and other developing countries across the world,” he said.<\/p>\n

Kone also revealed that India might be the next country to see a similar project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the World Health Organization, 2.5 billion people worldwide don\u2019t have access to toilets<\/strong>, resulting in 1.5 million deaths among children under the age of 5 each year due to sanitation problems.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in industrial countries, toilets use 20 to 40 percent of total water consumption.<\/p>\n

In China, toilet innovation has two major goals \u2014 sustainability and affordability<\/strong>, said Li.<\/p>\n

Zero water and electricity consumption, a daily cost below 5 cents per person, no smell, and comfort are also favored, Kone added.<\/p>\n

“We should look at human waste as a source of fertilizer or minerals and recycle it,” Li explained.<\/p>\n

Besides, designs are expected to be functional and reasonably priced, even without a local sewage system, Li said.<\/p>\n

Ok well now that I have lost my appetite for the rest of the day, let’s discuss!<\/strong><\/p>\n

via Chinadaily<\/em>
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