When you think of poop, you are probably disgusted. And the question of whether poop can catch fire might even seem more disgusting and absurd.
Well, you shouldn’t be so disgusted since it has been scientifically proven that all humans poop even when they do not eat. It is probably one of the most natural phenomena in the human body.
But is poop flammable? No, poop cannot be regarded as a flammable substance because it contains about 75% water content and about 25% solid matter, usually a combination of indigestible food matter, fat, inorganic substances, and protein.
A follow-up question on whether poop is flammable should probably be if dried poop is flammable. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Contents
What is Poop?
Before we get started, it’s worth refreshing our understanding of precisely what poop is and why it is called poop.
Poop or feces are the remains of food the small intestine could not absorb and fermented by bacteria in the gut. Poop has about 75% of water, although the water percentage can vary depending on several factors.
Remember that we mentioned that bacteria ferment poop in the gut. Thus, it follows that the second significant ingredient in poop is bacterial biomass — both alive and dead organisms.
The remaining are undigested carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, fats, and dead epithelial cells from the gastrointestinal tract walls. Your poop also contains small amounts of metabolic waste products.
Is Poop Flammable?
Although this might be regarded as an absurd question, this question becomes quite pertinent with the advancement in technology and talks of biogas.
Now, already emphasized fresh poop cannot be flammable due to its high-water content. But a follow-up question will be, is dried poop flammable?
Going by the technical definition of flammable substance or material, dried poop cannot exactly be termed flammable.
It should be noted that dried animal dung is regularly used as a fuel in many parts of the world, especially places without much wood. In the same light, it follows that dried human poop can also be used as fuel if properly dried.
While it may sound like a disgusting activity, gathering up poop and spreading it out in the full sun for several days might just be another way to source fuel.
This activity is not recommended since the feces will stink while it dries, and the smoke from the fire will be noxious.
Does Poop Burn in A Fire?
Since we have already established that fresh human poop has a high percentage of water, it simply follows that fresh poop cannot catch fire.
On a particularly hot day in July 2016, a huge pile of horse manure spontaneously caught fire in upstate New York.
Thus, in the right conditions, if the human poop is hot and dry enough, it may follow the same route with the huge pile of horse manure spontaneously catching fire. However, there aren’t any recorded incidents of this happening with human feces.
Can Human Poop Be Used as Fuel?
When the conversation begins to center on biogas and sustainable way of generating electricity, it may revert to whether human feces can be used as fuel.
Currently, in Bristol, England, a bus runs entirely on household and human waste powered by biomethane gas. This gas is created from sewage and food waste collected from local households. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
Although there is one bus running at the moment, it is a great eco-friendly idea that can easily be advanced.
So, it is entirely possible that poop is more than just the smelly stuff in your toilet bowl and can be used to save lives, power buses and create safe drinking water.
Can You Eat Your Poop?
No! please do not eat your poop! Remember that we mentioned that poop is mainly made up of water and bacteria. These bacteria can be extremely harmful to your system.
Have you heard of the word coprophagic? It comes from the word coprophagy which means the eating of feces.
Although some animals do this too, it’s most alarming in humans. The act of coprophagy in humans is usually an indicator of a mental or developmental disorder.
In south India, a 19-year-old boy who was observed eating his poop after defecating and poop of goats, cows, and dogs was diagnosed with this disorder.
Can You Drink Your Poop?
This question became of popular one when it seemed like Bill Gates literally drank his poop. The Omniprocessor, a machine that takes human waste, extracts water, and sanitizes it for drinking and power electricity, received Bill Gates’s stamp of approval.
The billionaire tech mogul drank a cup of water processed with the machine from his poop to further demonstrate his approval!
Gates hopes this will solve the sanitation and contaminated drinking water problems developing countries face.
Conclusion | Can Poop Catch Fire?
As to the question of whether poop is flammable, we have already established that poop has way too much water content to be considered flammable. But dried poop can be used as a source of fuel in the right circumstances.
Also, on the question, is poop flammable? We recognize that this question is related to whether or not poop can be used as a source of fuel. With technological advancement, in no time, poop can be widely used as a source of fuel!
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