UGM students from the Student Creativity Program in Constructive Idea Videos (PKM-VGK), comprising Aulia Pradnya Maharani, Orchidthania Putri, Gugun Hutagalung, Danial Bagus Setiawan, and Anna Hamidah, introduced an idea to utilize teeth and bone waste from both humans and animals.
The interdisciplinary team designed a way to optimize this waste in the filtration process of turning wastewater into usable water for rice field irrigation.
“We noticed that teeth and bone waste in Indonesia is still underutilized. Most people dispose of it, even though it contains hydroxyapatite, which can purify water,” explained Aulia Maharani, the team leader, on Wednesday (Sep. 4) at the UGM Campus.
According to Maharani, the innovation idea emerged from issues observed in Sleman. This densely populated area has rice fields nearby, and the minimal utilization of teeth and bone waste could be integrated to treat wastewater from local households.
Another PKM member, Danial Setiawan, noted that their project, Hydrosan, could have long-term benefits for water sanitation systems.
“We hope this innovation can enhance Indonesia’s food security amidst climate uncertainty and benefit farmers,” he added.
The research started with identifying the problem and exploring the filtrate mixtures for water filtration. Initially, waste is collected and processed at a water purification facility, undergoing cleaning, clarification, and filtration stages. The purified water is then stored in a reservoir before being channeled to the rice field irrigation system.
“The integration between the reservoir and irrigation system uses ultrasonic sensors to detect water levels,” Setiawan explained.
Orchidthania Putri added that while the system design is already implemented in many water treatment facilities, hydroxyapatite as a filtrate is a unique feature of this system.
They hope this initiative will help reduce the amount of teeth and bone waste the community generates while improving water quality and agricultural output.
Author: Hanif
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Image: Freepik
Post-editor: Afif