Anna Jurga – PhD student at the Wrocław University of Technology – develops a water treatment system for extraterrestrial colonies. The system is to work in conditions of reduced gravity and provide components necessary for plants in aeroponic cultivation.

The PhD student is working on the construction of a biological reactor, in which sewage would be purified using bacteria forming a conditioner used for fertilizing aeroponic crops. The concept assumes the use of “gray water” – previously used by colonists, e.g. for washing. This is the first step towards closing the entire water cycle in the extraterrestial colony.

The wastewater goes to a biological reactor to run the process of oxidation of ammonia and ammonium salts to nitrites and nitrates – they are transformed into the nutrient supplying the plants. Also the scientists from the University of Life Sciences in Poznań jointly develop this project conducting research on aeroponic cultivation of tomatoes and potatoes.

More about the project: http://pwr.edu.pl/uczelnia/aktualnosci/kosmiczna-oczyszczalnia-powstaje-na-pwr-10821.html