Brazilian town turning human waste into clean energy

[Judi Lynn]

Brazilian town turning human waste into clean energy
by Maria Vitoria Velez Maria Vitoria Velez – Tue Jun 23, 1:51 am ET

PETROPOLIS, Brazil (AFP) – High in the cool hills of eastern Brazil, this tourist hot spot also known as the Imperial City is attracting worldwide attention thanks an innovative scheme to recycle human sewage.

It has fostered a relatively simple idea now gaining traction in other parts of Latin America and as far afield as Spain, as nations struggle with the impact of burgeoning populations compounded by dwindling supplies of fuel and water.

Here bio-digesters -- specially designed organic enzymes and bacteria -- are used to break down waste water and turn it into an alternative energy sources such as gas.

During three fermentation processes, the bio-digesters are unleashed on human effluent and as they break it down they produce a bio-gas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can then be piped into homes for use in heating or cooking.

"In fact this is a greenhouse gas, which is harmful to the atmosphere when it is unleashed, but can be collected to be useful," said Jorge Gaiofato, technical director at the Environmental Institute (OIA), the non-governmental organization behind the scheme.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090623/sc_afp/brazilenvironmentsewage_20090623055219