Mountains of UK excrement to be ‘mined’ for precious metals we’ve swallowed
Now, poo experts are hoping to ‘mine’ the sewage in a bid to reduce the need to extract raw metals from the ground. The UK produces around 1.4 million tonnes of dry sewage sludge every year, with more than half of that being spread over farmland as a fertiliser.
Around 15 per cent is incinerated while a further 3.5 per cent goes to generate power in biomass energy stations. Previous research in the US estimated that waste from one million Americans could contain as much as £8.7m worth of metals.
By that estimate, poo from the UK's 64 million citizens could be worth more than £500m.
The latest study adds further weight to that claim, after researchers found a range of precious metals contained in the faeces.
They also found rare elements such as palladium and vanadium that are sought after for electronics and alloys.