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51-455: The river and people living around it suffered when pentachlorophenol herbicides were dumped into the river, obtained from the U.S. military by a civilian company in 1971, when it was still a US territory . Some 30,000 Okinawans had used the river for water supply, which was halted when school children came down with abdominal pain and nausea. Okinawa continues to suffer from extremely elevated levels of dioxins far beyond allowed limits, from

102-425: A fertilizer . Some animals use it to mark their territories . Historically, aged or fermented urine (known as lant ) was also used for gunpowder production, household cleaning, tanning of leather and dyeing of textiles. Human urine and feces are collectively referred to as human waste or human excreta, and are managed via sanitation systems. Livestock urine and feces also require proper management if

153-502: A PCP concentration exceeding the MCL , 1  ppb , must be notified by the water supplier to the public. Disposal of PCP and PCP-contaminated substances are regulated under RCRA as F-listed (F021) or D-listed (D037) hazardous wastes. Bridges and similar structures such as piers can still be treated with pentachlorophenol. PCP was widely used in Chile until the early 1990s as a fungicide to combat

204-573: A body's level of hydration , interactions with drugs, compounds and pigments or dyes found in food, or diseases. Normally, urine is a transparent solution ranging from colorless to amber, but is usually a pale yellow. Usually urination color comes primarily from the presence of urobilin . Urobilin is a final waste product resulting from the breakdown of heme from hemoglobin during the destruction of aging blood cells. Colorless urine indicates over-hydration. Colorless urine in drug tests can suggest an attempt to avoid detection of illicit drugs in

255-500: A fertilizer compared to dry manufactured nitrogen fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate , the relative transport costs for urine are high as a lot of water needs to be transported. Given that urea in urine breaks down into ammonia, urine has been used for cleaning. In pre-industrial times, urine was used – in the form of lant or aged urine – as a cleaning fluid. Urine was also used for whitening teeth in Ancient Rome . Urine

306-503: A moss killer to the general public (by Shell, at least) in the form of a 115g/L aqueous solution and labelled as a poison. Since the early 1980s, the purchase and use of PCP in the U.S. has not been available to the general public. Nowadays, most of the PCP used in the U.S. is restricted to the treatment of utility poles and railroad ties . In the United States, any drinking-water supply with

357-705: A normal range of 0.6 to 2.6 L (0.13 to 0.57 imp gal; 0.16 to 0.69 US gal) per person per day, produced in around 6 to 8 urinations per day depending on state of hydration, activity level, environmental factors, weight, and the individual's health. Producing too much or too little urine needs medical attention. Polyuria is a condition of excessive production of urine (> 2.5 L/day), oliguria when < 400 mL are produced, and anuria being < 100 mL per day. About 91–96% of urine consists of water. The remainder can be broadly characterized into inorganic salts, urea, organic compounds, and organic ammonium salts. Urine also contains proteins, hormones, and

408-441: A process of filtration , reabsorption , and tubular secretion . The kidneys extract the soluble wastes from the bloodstream, as well as excess water, sugars, and a variety of other compounds. The resulting urine contains high concentrations of urea and other substances, including toxins. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureter, bladder, and finally the urethra before passing through the urinary meatus . Research looking at

459-457: A range of pathogens , including HIV -1. Urine can also be used to produce urokinase , which is used clinically as a thrombolytic agent. Applying urine as fertilizer has been called "closing the cycle of agricultural nutrient flows" or ecological sanitation or ecosan . Urine fertilizer is usually applied diluted with water because undiluted urine can chemically burn the leaves or roots of some plants, causing plant injury, particularly if

510-416: A similar effect, as their compounds pass through the kidneys without being fully broken down before exiting the body. The pH normally is within the range of 5.5 to 7 with an average of 6.2. In persons with hyperuricosuria , acidic urine can contribute to the formation of stones of uric acid in the kidneys, ureters, or bladder. Urine pH can be monitored by a physician or at home. A diet which

561-455: A source of drinking water, ingestion of contaminated food, and dermal contact with soils or products treated with the chemical. Short-term exposure to large amounts of PCP can cause harmful effects on the liver, kidneys, blood, lungs, nervous system, immune system, and gastrointestinal tract. Elevated temperature, profuse sweating, uncoordinated movement, muscle twitching, and coma are additional side effects. Contact with PCP (particularly in

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612-729: A specific gravity of 1.003–1.035. Urine is not sterile, not even in the bladder. In the urethra, epithelial cells lining the urethra are colonized by facultatively anaerobic Gram-negative rod and cocci bacteria . One study conducted in Nigeria isolated a total of 77 distinct bacterial strains from 100 healthy children (ages 5–11) as well as 39 strains from 33 cow urine samples, a considerable amount being pathogens. Pathogens identified and their percentages were: The study also states: Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) rates recorded in children urinal bacterial species were 37.5–100% ( Gram-positive ) and 12.5–100% ( Gram-negative ), while MAR among

663-504: A sweetened urine odor. This can be due to kidney diseases as well, such as kidney stones . Additionally, the presence of amino acids in urine (diagnosed as maple syrup urine disease ) can cause it to smell of maple syrup . Eating asparagus can cause a strong odor reminiscent of the vegetable caused by the body's breakdown of asparagusic acid . Likewise consumption of saffron , alcohol , coffee , tuna fish , and onion can result in telltale scents. Particularly spicy foods can have

714-499: A wide range of metabolites , varying by what is introduced into the body. The total solids in urine are on average 59 g (2.1 oz) per day per person. Urea is the largest constituent of the solids, constituting more than 50% of the total. The daily volume and composition of urine varies per person based on the amount of physical exertion, environmental conditions, as well as water, salt, and protein intakes. In healthy persons, urine contains very little protein and an excess

765-521: Is attributed to Vespasian – said to have been his reply to a complaint from his son about the unpleasant nature of the tax. Vespasian's name is still attached to public urinals in France ( vespasiennes ), Italy ( vespasiani ), and Romania ( vespasiene ). Alchemists spent much time trying to extract gold from urine, which led to discoveries such as white phosphorus by German alchemist Hennig Brand when distilling fermented urine in 1669. In 1773

816-419: Is generally a sign of adequate hydration. Dark urine is a sign of dehydration . The exception occurs when diuretics are consumed, in which case urine can be clear and copious and the person still be dehydrated. Urine contains proteins and other substances that are useful for medical therapy and are ingredients in many prescription drugs (e.g., Ureacin, Urecholine , Urowave). Urine from postmenopausal women

867-471: Is high in protein from meat and dairy, as well as alcohol consumption can reduce urine pH, whilst potassium and organic acids, such as from diets high in fruit and vegetables, can increase the pH and make it more alkaline. Cranberries, popularly thought to decrease the pH of urine, have actually been shown not to acidify urine. Drugs that can decrease urine pH include ammonium chloride , chlorothiazide diuretics, and methenamine mandelate . Human urine has

918-460: Is methylation to pentachloroanisole (a more lipid-soluble compound). These two methods eventually lead to ring cleavage and complete degradation. In shallow waters, PCP is also quickly removed by photolysis. In deep or turbid water processes, sorption and biodegradation take place. In reductive soil and sediments, PCP can be degraded within 14 days to 5 years, depending on the anaerobic soil bacteria that are present. However, adsorption of PCP in soils

969-559: Is pH dependent because it increases under acidic conditions and decreases in neutral and basic conditions. PCP can be produced by the chlorination of phenol in the presence of catalyst (anhydrous aluminium or ferric chloride ) and a temperature up to about 191 °C. This process does not result in complete chlorination and commercial PCP is only 84–90% pure. The main contaminants include other polychlorinated phenols, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins , and polychlorinated dibenzofurans . Some of these species are even more toxic than

1020-481: Is quickly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract following ingestion. Accumulation is not common, but if it does occur, the major sites are the liver, kidneys, plasma protein , spleen , and fat . Unless kidney and liver functions are impaired, PCP is quickly eliminated from tissues and blood, and is excreted, mainly unchanged or in conjugated form, via the urine. Single doses of PCP have half-lives in blood of 30 to 50 hours in humans. Biomagnification of PCP in

1071-467: Is rich in gonadotropins that can yield follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone for fertility therapy. One such commercial product is Pergonal . Urine from pregnant women contains enough human chorionic gonadotropins for commercial extraction and purification to produce hCG medication. Pregnant mare urine is the source of estrogens , namely Premarin . Urine also contains antibodies , which can be used in diagnostic antibody tests for

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1122-402: Is suggestive of illness, as with sugar. Organic matter, in healthy persons, also is reported to at most 1.7 times more matter than minerals. However, any more than that is suggestive of illness. However, it is important to note that lesser amounts and concentrations of other compounds and ions are often present in urination of humans. Urine varies in appearance, depending principally upon

1173-655: Is the consumption of urine . Urine was used in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes; urine drinking is still practiced today. In extreme cases, people may drink urine if no other fluids are available, although numerous credible sources (including the US Army Field Manual ) advise against using it. Urine may also be consumed as a sexual activity . ( Full article... ) The US Army Field Manual advises against drinking urine for survival. The manual explains that drinking urine tends to worsen rather than relieve dehydration due to

1224-434: Is usually performed by gas chromatography with electron-capture or mass-spectrometric detection. Since urine contains predominantly conjugated PCP in chronic exposure situations, prior hydrolysis of specimens is recommended. The current ACGIH biological exposure limits for occupational exposure to PCP are 5 mg/L in an end-of-shift plasma specimen and 2 mg/g creatinine in an end-of-shift urine specimen. PCP

1275-593: The Friends episode "The One With the Jellyfish", an early episode of Survivor , as well as the films The Real Cancun (2003), The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and The Paperboy (2012). However, at best it is ineffective, and in some cases this treatment may make the injury worse. Urine has often been used as a mordant to help prepare textiles, especially wool, for dyeing. In the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides,

1326-490: The Umayyad empire. Diabetes mellitus got its name because the urine is plentiful and sweet . The name uroscopy refers to any visual examination of the urine, including microscopy , although it often refers to the aforementioned prescientific or Proto-scientific forms of urine examination. Clinical urine tests today duly note the color, turbidity, and odor of urine but also include urinalysis , which chemically analyzes

1377-463: The cloaca . Urine contains water-soluble by-products of cellular metabolism that are rich in nitrogen and must be cleared from the bloodstream , such as urea , uric acid , and creatinine . A urinalysis can detect nitrogenous wastes of the mammalian body. Urine plays an important role in the earth's nitrogen cycle . In balanced ecosystems , urine fertilizes the soil and thus helps plants to grow. Therefore, urine can be used as

1428-411: The livestock population density is high . Most animals have excretory systems for elimination of soluble toxic wastes. In humans, soluble wastes are excreted primarily by the urinary system and, to a lesser extent in terms of urea , removed by perspiration . In placental mammals, the urinary system consists of the kidneys , ureters , urinary bladder , and urethra . The system produces urine by

1479-557: The 1930s, it is marketed under many trade names. It can be found as pure PCP, or as the sodium salt of PCP, the latter of which dissolves easily in water. It can be biodegraded by some bacteria, including Sphingobium chlorophenolicum . PCP has been used as a herbicide , insecticide , fungicide , algaecide , and disinfectant and as an ingredient in antifouling paint . Some applications were in agricultural seeds (for nonfood uses), leather, masonry, wood preservation , cooling-tower water, rope, and paper. It has previously been used in

1530-622: The French chemist Hilaire Rouelle discovered the organic compound urea by boiling urine dry. The English word urine ( / ˈ juː r ɪ n / , / ˈ j ɜːr ɪ n / ) comes from the Latin urina ( -ae , f .), which is cognate with ancient words in various Indo-European languages that concern water, liquid, diving, rain, and urination (for example Sanskrit varṣati meaning 'it rains' or vār meaning 'water' and Greek ourein meaning 'to urinate'). The onomatopoetic term piss predates

1581-528: The PCP itself. Pentachlorophenol is classified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) . In May 2015, countries which have signed the Stockholm Convention voted 90–2 to ban pentachlorophenol use. The United States is not a signatory and has not banned the chemical. PCP was used in New Zealand as a timber preservative and antisapstain treatment, but since 1988 is no longer used. It was also sold as

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1632-470: The areas in and surrounding its US military bases, which are adjacent urban population centers, despite decades of denials and cleanup refusals by US officials. This article related to a river in Japan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pentachlorophenol Pentachlorophenol ( PCP ) is an organochlorine compound used as a pesticide and a disinfectant . First produced in

1683-472: The bloodstream through over-hydration. Sometime after leaving the body, urine may acquire a strong "fish-like" odor because of contamination with bacteria that break down urea into ammonia . This odor is not present in fresh urine of healthy individuals; its presence may be a sign of a urinary tract infection . The odor of normal human urine can reflect what has been consumed or specific diseases. For example, an individual with diabetes mellitus may present

1734-409: The cow urinal bacteria was 12.5–75.0% (Gram-positive) and 25.0–100% (Gram-negative). Many physicians in ancient history resorted to the inspection and examination of the urine of their patients. Hermogenes wrote about the color and other attributes of urine as indicators of certain diseases. Abdul Malik Ibn Habib of Andalusia ( d. 862 AD) mentions numerous reports of urine examination throughout

1785-422: The duration of urination in a range of mammal species found that nine larger species urinated for 21 ± 13 seconds irrespective of body size. Smaller species, including rodents and bats , cannot produce steady streams of urine and instead urinate with a series of drops. Average urine production in adult humans is around 1.4 L (0.31 imp gal; 0.37 US gal) of urine per person per day with

1836-405: The environment are decreasing as a result of declining consumption and changing use methods. However, PCP is still released to surface waters from the atmosphere by wet deposition , from soil by run off and leaching, and from manufacturing and processing facilities. PCP is released directly into the atmosphere via volatilization from treated wood products and during production. Finally, releases to

1887-436: The first German chlorine gas attacks, Allied troops were supplied with masks of cotton pads that had been soaked in urine. It was believed that the ammonia in the pad neutralized the chlorine. These pads were held over the face until the soldiers could escape from the poisonous fumes. Urban legend states that urine works well against jellyfish stings. This scenario has appeared many times in popular culture including in

1938-465: The food chain is not thought to be significant due to the fairly rapid metabolism of the compound by exposed organisms. PCP has been detected in surface waters and sediments, rainwater, drinking water, aquatic organisms, soil, and food, as well as in human milk, adipose tissue , and urine. As PCP is generally used for its properties as a biocidal agent, considerable concern exists about adverse ecosystem effects in areas of PCP contamination. Releases to

1989-513: The form of vapor) can irritate the skin, eyes, and mouth. Long-term exposure to low levels, such as those that occur in the workplace, can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, blood, and nervous system. Finally, exposure to PCP is also associated with carcinogenic, renal, and neurological effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toxicity class classifies PCP in group B2 (probable human carcinogen ). Pentachlorophenol may be measured in plasma or urine as an index of excessive exposure. This

2040-429: The inhalation of contaminated workplace air and dermal contact with wood products treated with PCP. Also, general population exposure may occur through contact with contaminated environment media, particularly in the vicinity of wood-treatment facilities and hazardous-waste sites. In addition, some other important routes of exposure seem to be the inhalation of contaminated air, ingestion of contaminated ground water used as

2091-608: The manufacture of food packaging materials. Its use has declined due to its high toxicity and slow biodegradation. Two general methods are used for preserving wood. The pressure process method involves placing wood in a pressure-treating vessel, where it is immersed in PCP and then subjected to applied pressure. In the nonpressure process method, PCP is applied by spraying, brushing, dipping, or soaking. Pentachlorophenol esters can be used as active esters in peptide synthesis , much like more popular pentafluorophenyl esters . People may be exposed to PCP in occupational settings through

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2142-434: The process of " waulking " (fulling) woven wool is preceded by soaking in urine, preferably infantile. Urine plays a role in olfactory communication , since it contains semiochemicals that act as pheromones . The urine of predator species often contains kairomones that serve as a repellent against their prey species. The fermentation of urine by bacteria produces a solution of ammonia ; hence fermented urine

2193-403: The quantity of 1.5 L urine per day (or 550 L per year), the concentration values of macronutrients as follows: 7.3 g/L N; .67 g/L P; 1.8 g/L K. These are design values but the actual values vary with diet. Urine's nutrient content, when expressed with the international fertilizer convention of N:P 2 O 5 :K 2 O, is approximately 7:1.5:2.2. Since urine is rather diluted as

2244-400: The salts in it, and that urine should not be consumed in a survival situation, even when there is no other fluid available. In hot weather survival situations, where other sources of water are not available, soaking cloth (a shirt for example) in urine and putting it on the head can help cool the body. During World War I , Germans experimented with numerous poisonous gases as weapons. After

2295-402: The so-called "blue stain" in pine timber under the name of Basilit. Urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. In placental mammals , urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder and exits the urethra through the penis or vulva during urination . In other vertebrates , urine is excreted through

2346-466: The soil can be by leaching from treated wood products, atmospheric deposition in precipitation (such as rain and snow), spills at industrial facilities, and at hazardous waste sites. After PCP is released into the atmosphere, it decomposes through photolysis . The main biodegradative pathway for PCP is reductive dehalogenation. In this process, the compound PCP is broken down to tetrachlorophenols, trichlorophenols , and dichlorophenols . Another pathway

2397-860: The soil moisture content is low. The dilution also helps to reduce odor development following application. When diluted with water (at a 1:5 ratio for container-grown annual crops with fresh growing medium each season or a 1:8 ratio for more general use), it can be applied directly to soil as a fertilizer. The fertilization effect of urine has been found to be comparable to that of commercial nitrogen fertilizers. Urine may contain pharmaceutical residues ( environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants ). Concentrations of heavy metals such as lead , mercury , and cadmium , commonly found in sewage sludge, are much lower in urine. Typical design values for nutrients excreted with urine are: 4 kg nitrogen per person per year, 0.36 kg phosphorus per person per year and 1.0 kg potassium per person per year. Based on

2448-420: The urine and quantifies its constituents. A culture of the urine is performed when a urinary tract infection is suspected, as bacteriuria without symptoms does not require treatment. A microscopic examination of the urine may be helpful to identify organic or inorganic substrates and help in the diagnosis. The color and volume of urine can be reliable indicators of hydration level. Clear and copious urine

2499-419: The word urine , but is now considered vulgar. Urinate was at first used mostly in medical contexts. Piss is also used in such colloquialisms as to piss off , piss poor , and the slang expression pissing down to mean heavy rain. Euphemisms and expressions used between parents and children (such as wee , pee , and many others) have long existed. Lant is a word for aged urine, originating from

2550-455: Was used before the development of a chemical industry in the manufacture of gunpowder . Urine, a nitrogen source, was used to moisten straw or other organic material, which was kept moist and allowed to rot for several months to over a year. The resulting salts were washed from the heap with water, which was evaporated to allow collection of crude saltpeter crystals, that were usually refined before being used in making gunpowder. Urophagia

2601-553: Was used in Classical Antiquity to wash cloth and clothing, to remove hair from hides in preparation for tanning, to serve as a mordant in dying cloth, and to remove rust from iron. Ancient Romans used fermented human urine (in the form of lant ) to cleanse grease stains from clothing. The emperor Nero instituted a tax ( Latin : vectigal urinae ) on the urine industry, continued by his successor, Vespasian . The Latin saying Pecunia non olet ('money does not smell')

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