#859: Dr Nicholas Ashbolt 2017: Vacuum Flush Systems For Homes And Hospitals

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Dr. Nicholas Ashbolt holds the Alberta Innovates Translational Health Chair in Water at the University of Alberta.

His research on waterborne pathogens suggests our current plumbing supports the growth of germs and then sends them into the air like a giant sneeze when the toilet is flushed.

Dr Ashbolt believes the use of "vacuum" rather than gravity systems could eliminate that problem.

DR NICHOLAS ASHBOLT:  So there are toilets that are vacuum  flushed that most people may have come across on boats, on trains and in aircraft.  They are a very wise investment in a hospital because when you flush a toilet you aerosolize whatever pathogens the person before had excreted to some degree into the air.   So the next person coming into that room or facility will touch surfaces or breathe in the air with those pathogens. But with a vacuum flush toilet, only a half a litre or so of water is used, which saves water, and 60 litres of air is used to move that residual down the sewer.  That’s a much, much safer scenario.  

Dr Nicholas Ashbolt says another benefit to adopting a vacuum system is the ability to capture imbedded energy from the waste stream or black water.

Thanks today to ALBERTA INNOVATES

Learn more at INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY.com

I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates

Alberta Innovates is a provincially funded Corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans. We do this by building on our province’s research and technology development strengths in the core sectors of health, environment, energy, food and fibre and platforms such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and omics. We are working with our partners to diversify Alberta’s economy, improve our environmental performance and enhance our well-being through research and innovation. 

The Alberta Innovates system has roots stretching back almost 90 years

In March, 2016 the consolidation of Alberta Innovates was announced and on November 1, a single, integrated innovation powerhouse, Alberta Innovates, was formed. Two applied research subsidiaries – Innotech Alberta and C-Fer Technologies –  serve public and private sector interests.

The Alberta Innovates system was first created in January 2010, as part of an overall innovation framework developed within the Alberta Research and Innovation Act. At that time, four corporations were established:

  • Bio Solutions
  • Energy and Environment Solutions
  • Health Solutions
  • Technology Futures.

The Alberta Innovates system has a 90-year legacy. Our expertise is built on the successes of:

  • Alberta Institute for Agriculture
  • Forestry and the Environment
  • Alberta Agricultural Research Institute
  • Alberta Forestry Research Institute
  • Alberta Life Sciences Institute
  • Alberta Ingenuity
  • Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
  • Alberta Research Council
  • iCORE
  • nanoAlberta
  • Alberta Water Research Institute (AWRI)
  • Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)
  • Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA).

 

Program Date: 2017-04-06