A question about urine for biology boffins

Ergates said:
Edit: Just seen you're using lucosade bottles - presumably plastic. In which case, don't try the oven method!!
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No I just used lucosade bottles for night time peeing. This experiment was conducted using a jar. The jar is now in the bin as I couldn't get the top off to pour it away so something must have been using up the air in there, thus most likely bacteria.
 
FFS, does nobody in here look at the world from a scientific point of view?
or are you all too busy smirking and giggling about pasty :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

here:

urine-contents.jpg
 
Well, if the sediment appeared after a certain amount of time and could not be made to go back into the urine phase that suggests it is neither salts nor calcium deposits - the first being water soluble and the second would have been immediately apparent. Suggesting that it was indeed possibly bacteria present in the ex-pickled onion jar getting a lot of nutrients from your wazz and breeding (a lot!).
 
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Would adding a bit of limescale cleaner dissolve the calcium? That would the prove if it was that or not. Protein still looks likely I think
 
Urine is pretty acidic anyway.

Anyway it's in the bin now. Hopefully OP will repeat the experiment with a sterile jar. Or even better. 2 jars, one sterile and one non-sterile (all good experiments need a control).
 
Ergates said:
If you want to try again with a sterile jar - use a pressure cooker, at least 121oC for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool in there without opening it.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you could do it in the oven. Just put them in the oven, upside down, at about 200C for 1/2 an hour or so. Again, let them cool down in the oven without opening the door.
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Alternatively, if you don't want to bother with those methods just wipe the jars with alcohol...
 
Morgoth said:
Alternatively, if you don't want to bother with those methods just wipe the jars with alcohol...
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For this to be effective for a prolongued exposure (the urine is going to be in there for days) you'd need lab strength alcohol. Vodka won't cut it. You'd have to burn it off too.

An oven is easier to come by.
 
Ergates said:
A nice little gift for the bin men
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Bin men don't even see inside a bin now and I think they would be more bothered by baby poo than an empty wee bottle.
I could be wrong but (according to Embarassing Bodies) wee won't harm you where poo obviously can.
They said you could sit on a toilet seat with dozens of other peoples wee on it and nothing would happen but sitting on a kitchen top surface would be a no no.

By some of the posts in here it looks like they are still on their Mummy's teet and they've always been within a couple of yards of a toilet.
 
dmpoole said:
Bin men don't even see inside a bin now and I think they would be more bothered by baby poo than an empty wee bottle.
I could be wrong but (according to Embarassing Bodies) wee won't harm you where poo obviously can.
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Fresh urine is sterile and not particularly harmful (I wouldn't recomend drinking it though). This stuff wasn't fresh - it'd be sitting in a jar on a window ledge going septic for a week.
 
Ergates said:
For this to be effective for a prolongued exposure (the urine is going to be in there for days) you'd need lab strength alcohol. Vodka won't cut it. You'd have to burn it off too.

An oven is easier to come by.
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Good man mantis! I would be interested to see your results.

I perform sterilisations on equipment on a daily basis at my workplace. The best method is of course autoclaving at 120+ degrees, 103 kPa for 20 minutes. Given that the one in my lab costs well over £1000 its unlikely the OP will have one to hand. A pressure cooker is the next best thing.

I would not recommend alcohol that is anything other than 75% or more ethanol.

I would use the oven if a pressure cooker is unavailable. Put the jar you wish to sterilise in at a minimum temperature of 160 degrees for 2 hours or 180 degrees for 35 minutes. I would go for the higher temperature for slightly longer then an hour given that some cookers have inaccuracies on their thermostats (its overkill but better to be safe then sorry later). It is in my opinion the most effective method given what the OP is likely to have to hand.

Edit: To dispose of the urine after the experiment, you would need to mix the urine with plenty of undiluted bleach (something like domestos), then flush it down the toilet (or down a foul water drain). I would also soak the jars in bleach for a day. Do not put the urine in the oven as you may get boil over...not what you want in your oven really.
 
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