Human urine as a new-gen fertilizer for sustainable agriculture: a review towards a circular nutrient economy
Mohamed Roshan Abu Firnass Mustaffa·Surya Teja Varanasi·Kannan Pandian·PRama Mohan·Anandham Rangasamy·Sridevi Govindaraj·V Shanmugam·Kottaisamy Muniasamy
The energy-intensive production and environmental repercussions of synthetic fertilizers pose significant challenges to agricultural sustainability. Nutrient recovery from human urine, an underutilized renewable resource rich in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), offers a low-energy pathway that supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6 and 12). This review synthesizes global research on human urine-based fertilization as a sustainable alternative to synthetic inputs using