Kara Nelson Demos "pHree Loo" at Gates' Toilet Fair

Featured Faculty: Kara L. Nelson

Environmental Engineering Professor Kara Nelson and her Safe Sludge research team (Nelson and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Temi Ogunyoku) participated in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation competition to reinvent the toilet.

Scientists from around the world entered the Seattle competition on August 14 as a response to its challenge to reinvent the toilet for the 2.5 billion people around the world who lack access to modern sanitation.

Nelson and Ogunyoku demonstrated their "pHree Loo" toilet, which is designed to safely disinfect sludge waste.

The Gates' toilet focus started a year ago and to date the Foundation has committed $370 million to reinventing the toilet. The Foundation decided to hold a toilet fair to show how far the scientists have gotten in that time, and to give them an opportunity to learn from each other and collaborate.

See
From Bill Gates, a toilet challenge spills forth (SF Chronicle)

Bill Gates leads the search for a high-tech toilet (video) (BBC News Technology US & Canada)

Bill Gates looks to new toilets to improve world sanitation (audio interview with Ogunyoku) (BBC News Technology)

Extreme Makover: Toilet edition (audio interview with Ogunyoku) (KPLU 88.5 Seattle)

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