Short Wave Saving Water A Flush At A Time
Sep 15, 2020
Tak-Sing Wong, a biomedical engineer at Penn State University, is pioneering a slippery toilet coating to conserve water. He reveals how traditional flushing wastes freshwater and discusses a humorous experiment using synthetic poop to test his innovations. Wong explains how his design mimics nature's pitcher plant to improve waste management efficiently. Listeners will learn about the potential for a cleaner toilet experience while reducing environmental impact, making every flush count.
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Water Waste
- Sticky poop wastes a lot of water because people flush multiple times to clean the bowl.
- Globally, this adds up to a tremendous amount of water flushed daily.
Pitcher Plant Inspiration
- Tak-Sing Wong's nonstick toilet coating was inspired by the pitcher plant.
- The plant's slippery surface traps bugs, which gave Wong the idea for a lubricant-infused coating.
Synthetic Poop
- To test the coating, Wong's team needed synthetic poop, as real poop wasn't ideal for lab settings.
- They created a seven-ingredient recipe that mimics real human waste.