While the precise amount of urine contributed by cetaceans to the ocean remains unclear, marine biologists have recently highlighted the crucial role whale urine plays in sustaining a healthy marine ecosystem by redistributing significant amounts of nutrients.
For instance, female humpback whales feed in the Gulf of Alaska and then travel thousands of miles to the Hawaiian Islands to give birth.
This is particularly important for newborn calves, as they require a warm and comfortable environment to thrive, supported by a thick layer of insulating blubber. Conversely, the most nutritious feeding grounds for whales are found in the cold, krill-laden waters of polar regions.
Whales can produce hundreds of gallons of urine daily – Image credit: Getty
When whales head to their breeding areas, they typically cease feeding and rely on stored fat for energy. Consequently, the nutrients they consumed in high-latitude regions are released as urine and feces.
Particularly noteworthy is the significance of urine on this conveyor belt; a 2025 study revealed that gray, humpback, and right whales collectively transport nearly 4,000 tons of nitrogen annually.
In regions around the Hawaiian Islands, migrating whales can effectively double the nutrient influx into shallow waters.
This nutrient flow is critical as it stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, injecting energy into the marine food web.
The impact of this process was even greater prior to commercial whaling, when the nutrient transport via the Great Whale Conveyor Belt was likely three times more than it is today.
This article addresses the inquiry (made by Lou Grant in Birmingham): “What portion of the ocean consists of whale pee?”
If you have any inquiries, feel free to email us at:questions@sciencefocus.com or send us a messagefacebook,×orInstagramPage (please include your name and location).
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Assessing cervical cancer risk non-invasively using a urine sample
SolStock/Getty Images
Urine tests can detect strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), linked to cervical cancer, with accuracy comparable to that of self-administered vaginal swabs.
Historically, cervical cancer screening involved healthcare professionals collecting cell samples from the cervix to test for abnormal cells or HPV strains. HPV 16 and 18 are the most common culprits.
In nations like the US and Canada, individuals can now opt for self-collected vaginal swabs that avoid direct contact with the cervix. This approach is similarly being adopted in the UK as part of a new strategy. Such swabs have been linked to increased screening uptake, although they may still be invasive and uncomfortable for some individuals.
Previous research indicates that HPV DNA can be identified in urine. To explore this further, Julia Lynch from the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul, along with her colleagues, surveyed 753 sexually active women aged 18-25, asking them to provide urine samples at any time and to perform vaginal swabs in clinical settings across Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The results revealed that the capacity of the tests to identify seven high-risk HPV strains was strikingly similar, with 5.3% of self-collected swabs testing positive for one or more of these strains compared to 5% of urine samples. For HPV 16 and 18 specifically, the figures were nearly identical—2.3% for swabs and 2.4% for urine.
Urine samples were also preferred by many participants. “We operate in regions with diverse social contexts, and vaginal swabs were less accepted among certain age groups in some countries,” Lynch notes.
The World Health Organization set elimination goals for cervical cancer in 2018, primarily hinging on the success of HPV vaccinations. However, maintaining screening uptake remains critical, as the effects of vaccination programs may take years to be evident on a population level, according to Lynch.
Several types of HPV vaccines protect against all strains 16 and 18. Nonetheless, the data concerning HPV risks generally originates from North America and Europe, as Lynch states. Thus, this research could provide insights into the circulating strains in various regions globally to inform vaccine strategies.
The study focused solely on young women, which means the findings may not apply to broader demographics. Beverly Green from Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute mentioned that the current study is a part of a wider project aimed at determining HPV prevalence in eight low- and middle-income countries throughout South Asia and Africa, with additional studies within the same project assessing a sample of older women.
Astronauts on spacewalks may soon be able to drink their own urine, thanks to a water filtration and recycling system that could be ready in time for NASA's upcoming manned missions to the moon.
Urine and sweat wastewater is already recycled on the International Space Station, but the bulky equipment required to do so doesn't fit in a space suit. NASA's current solution is the Maximum Absorbency Garment, which, despite its technical name, is essentially just an adult diaper for collecting urine and feces. At the end of the spacewalk, these diapers are sent to the ISS's waste system and eventually burned in Earth's atmosphere, a frustrating waste of resources.
Chris Mason A researcher from Cornell University in New York says that current solutions are sufficient for spacewalks, which often last only a few hours, but that increased activity in space will require better solutions. He and his colleagues have developed a shoebox-sized, 8-kilogram device that can recycle urine collected through a unisex external catheter through a two-stage osmotic membrane filter with 87 percent efficiency.
The purified water is ready to drink and can be piped to a bag inside the spacesuit, which has the added benefit of providing a steady supply of drinking water. Current NASA spacesuits only provide a little less than a liter of drinking water, which is often not enough for long spacewalks. The remaining 13 percent of the water cannot be extracted and remains in the filter.
“I thought this had already been done, but it hasn't,” Mason said. “People who push the boundaries of humanity often trade discomfort for the opportunity to explore entirely new areas of science and medicine.”
The filtration technology is the same one already used on the ISS; however, unlike ISS wastewater, urine does not contain soap or chemicals, so it is easier to extract water from it, the team says. Extracting water from feces is not yet “fully solved,” but this is not as big a constraint, since astronauts often insist on just holding in their bowels during spacewalks, Mason says.
While many of NASA's current spacesuits have worked so far, change is needed because future astronauts will likely be more diverse in body shapes and sizes than their predecessors, he said. “The democratization of space brings new opportunities, but it also creates new challenges that we must address.”
Currently, the device is a prototype that is only being tested in a lab, but human trials involving collecting urine, recycling it, and drinking the water are expected to begin by November.
The researchers say the device could be incorporated into new versions of spacesuits planned for NASA's upcoming Artemis missions to the moon. NASA has contracted the private company Axiom Space to build the new suits, but the company declined to answer questions. New ScientistWhen asked how the spacecraft would deal with human waste, NASA declined to comment.
Here’s a question you probably shouldn’t think about while eating. What is the fastest peeing animal on earth? Elephants? Lions? Horse?
According to the magazine’s recent research, there’s one surprising candidate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: cicada. After studying urine flow throughout the animal kingdom, some scientists (preferably wearing goggles) have discovered that this tiny insect can spray pee at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. This is about three times faster than the average human.
So far so bad. But when you add that to the fact that a once-in-200-year event will soon see billions, perhaps trillions, of birds across the United States, you might start to feel a little nervous about your summer plans…
Now, is it time to hide out until the cicada storm passes? Experts say it probably is, but not for the reasons you might think…
What are cicadas and why do they come towards us?
“Cicadas are truly fascinating insects, known for their unique life cycles and unique sounds.” Dr. Elio Charita says the lead author of their urinary study. BBC Science Focus. “They belong to the order Hemiptera, are sap-feeding insects, and are found in temperate and tropical regions around the world.”
Cicadas can grow quite large, in some cases as large as hummingbirds, but in reality they really are quite noisy. In fact, their cries, clicks, and crackles are as noisy as a chainsaw.
“One of the most interesting things about cicadas is that they have a long larval stage, during which they stay underground for several years and feed on plant roots. Depending on the species, this stage lasts anywhere from a few years to 17 years. It can continue,” Charita continues.
This year, two “family members” of the so-called periodic cicadas (one emerges every 13 years, the other every 17 years) are synchronizing in some parts of the eastern United States. This is something that hasn’t happened since 1803 and will not happen again until 2245.
If you want to know more about the cicada life cycle, you can read all about cicadas in our explanatory article.
Is it time to prepare for the pee apocalypse?
Before we started buying canned goods and toilet paper in bulk in preparation for a summer spent indoors, the University of Kentucky entomologist said, Dr. Jonathan Larson, tells you BBC Science Focus Really, there’s no need to worry too much.
“For many people, the idea of a six-legged teenage insect invasion sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but in reality, it’s a beautiful life experience, just like Mardi Gras.”
Although cicadas are large, they are harmless to people, animals, and crops.
Larson also pointed out that the cicadas found in the recent study were a species that lives in Peru and emerges every year. As a result, they spend more time feeding and urinating than the U.S. species we expect this summer.
read more:
“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
Top 10 largest insects in the world
Bugs on the brink: Why bugs are disappearing from your garden this year
“For species in the United States, we’re talking about species that feed much less as adults than some of the species studied. The periodicals here say that once they emerge as adults, it all comes down to finding a mate,” Larson says.
However, it takes a while for them to eat and pee. Charita explains that periodic cicadas have been observed to urinate on jets before. It was also captured on camera.
…
Another good thing (or should we call it that?) is that cicada pee is completely different from animal pee. As mentioned above, cicadas feed exclusively on the xylem sap of trees. This is the same thing that forms the basis of maple syrup. Therefore, what comes out is a sweet, watery liquid known as “honeydew.”
Despite its delicious name, we don’t recommend drinking cicada pee while walking around this summer, but at least you’ll feel a little less sick if cicada pee falls on your head during a walk.
In other words, as Larson says, “With these cicadas, you can leave your umbrella at home.” Phew.
“Please watch your step.”
So cicadas pee surprisingly fast, but that’s not really a problem. In fact, the bigger problem for Larson would be when he dies, not when he goes to the bathroom.
“They die in groups, so you get big piles of carcasses. If they get stepped on, they can make sidewalks slippery. I think it’s a bigger liquid nightmare,” Larson says.
How bad could this be? In 1990, there was a report as follows. Chigoan has to use a snow shovel to remove dead insects from the sidewalk.
To make matters worse, billions of bugs die and rot at the same time, leaving a terrible stench in the air. Several people explained this. Hmm, a unique smell like rotten nuts.
Billions of cicadas come out of the ground, mate, and then die one after the other. – Image credit: Getty
On the positive side, this process returns many nutrients, including nitrogen, to the ground. So, while they may stink, they benefit the ecosystems they end up in.
How cicada pee can help build future robots
The fact that cicadas urinate in such powerful jets was surprising for two reasons, Charita said.
Most insects do not urinate because it takes a lot of energy to urinate in a jet like larger animals do. Instead, they are excreted as droplets. Cicadas in particular feed on tree sap, which has little nutritional value, making their energetic eviction even more troublesome.
Not only is jet peeing less energy efficient, previous research suggested it would be impossible for animals weighing less than 1 kilogram because their orifices are too small to produce a dense jet.
Understanding this process is important for several reasons. Especially since cicada populations number in the trillions and the impact their excrement has on the environment can be significant.
“We still don’t fully understand the ecological impact of cicada excretion on surrounding flora and fauna, especially in the case of periodic cicadas,” Charita says.
Cicadas can produce jets that travel at speeds of up to 3 meters per second. – Image credit: Elio Challita
When feeding, cicadas can consume 300 times their body weight in sap each day, and all that sap has to go somewhere.
But the team also has other applications for this research in mind. The knowledge gained could be useful for manufacturing jets and nozzles for small robots, and could also be applied to additive manufacturing and possibly drug delivery.
“Our study highlights the importance of studying seemingly mundane aspects of animal biology, such as excretion,” concludes Charita. “Investigating these processes can reveal interesting adaptations and provide insight into how animals interact with their environments.
“It also reminds us that there is still much to discover about the natural world, even in the most unexpected places.”
About our experts
Elio Charita He is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Microrobotics Institute. Previously, at Georgia Tech, he studied fluid mechanics to help ultra-fast invertebrates (insects, hexapods, and arachnids) perform essential biological functions (e.g., feeding, excretion, and predator avoidance). I was researching how to deal with this issue.
Jonathan Larson He is an extension entomologist and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, providing insect expertise to those working on urban landscapes, turfgrass, nursery crops, greenhouses, and household problems. He is also the co-host of the Informative Insects Podcast. arthropod.
read more:
“Insect Apocalypse” will feature billions of cicadas. Here’s what you can expect
Top 10 largest insects in the world
Bugs on the brink: Why bugs are disappearing from your garden this year
Teens appear to produce chemicals in their sweat that cause body odor, such as urine, musk, and sandalwood. Awareness of these chemicals may lead to more effective odor control measures, such as more effective deodorants.
Because the chemical compounds in sweat are volatile, they easily turn into gases that are perceived as odor. Hormonal changes that occur during puberty are associated with increased body odor.
helen ruth Researchers at Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander University studied how body odor changes from childhood to adolescence.
The team recruited 18 children up to the age of three and 18 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18. They all washed themselves with unscented gel before bed and had cotton pads sewn to the sides of their clothes.
The researchers then extracted the compounds absorbed by the pads and identified them using a technique called mass spectrometry. They then used a process called gas chromatography and trained evaluators to detect the odorous chemicals. “The human nose is used as a detector,” Roos says.
Overall, the body odor-causing chemicals in the two groups were similar, but the chemicals collected from the teens contained higher levels of some carboxylic acids, and the judges described it as “cheap”, “musty” and “earthy”.
The researchers also identified two steroids unique to the teens’ samples, which smelled of “urine and musk” and “sandalwood and musk,” respectively. Chemical differences between teen body odor and toddler body odor may be why toddlers are generally considered to have more pleasant smells, the researchers write.
Ruth says further research into the scents we produce at different ages could help scientists develop more effective odor control measures.
but andreas natsch Swiss fragrance maker Givaudan notes that the study only assessed overnight body odor. “In adults, more pungent odors occur when they are under mental or physical stress,” he says.
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