Is Urine/Pee Flammable? (We Got Answer)
You excrete roughly two liters of urine every day. Did you know that? That is, assuming you are healthy, active, hydrated, and of normal weight. However, you’ve probably heard that you can light a fire with urine. But does that imply that urine/pee is flammable?
Before experimenting, you should read this article to see if that is possible. You’ll also learn whether drinking alcohol increases pee’s flammability and hazardous nature. The next time you go camping, it might be useful to know how to ignite a fire with urine and whether or not pee bottles explode.
Read: Is Resin Flammable?
Is Urine/Pee Flammable?
Urine is not flammable. The composition of urine is 91-96% water. The other % is a mixture of nitrogen compounds such as creatine, urea, sodium chloride, potassium, dissolved ions, and uric acid. While some of the other components of urine are flammable when isolated, the water content is so high that it would extinguish any flame.
When ammonia is isolated, it can explode under high temperatures. When isolated and combined with strong reducing agents, urea forms flammable gas, nitrogen. Sodium chloride ignites violently in water and is flammable in the air. Potassium is also flammable in the absence of water. These four components are in small percentages in urine, and the fact that water is present makes it impossible for them to ignite.
The names pee and urine mean the same. The name pee seems to have originated from two places. There is the Latin version of “pissiare” (sounds like someone urinating). The French version is “pisser, ” a rude term for urinating.
Can You Use Urine to Start a Fire?
Despite not being flammable, you can use pee to light a fire. But it is achievable under the appropriate circumstances and in the proper manner. You can’t use it directly to start a fire. If you urinate on the fire, the water in your urine will usually put it out. Even if it’s not the ideal option, use it if it’s your only hope of surviving.
You can use your pee if you are stranded in the woods, need to start a fire, and don’t have the right equipment. Here is a simple procedure to follow so that you don’t end up stranded when attempting to start a fire with urine:
- Gather some stones, some dry grass, and some paper. Fill a water bottle made of plastic with pee.
- Fasten the bottle cap firmly.
- Hold the bottle in the sun’s rays while turning it upside down, aiming it at some dry grass or paper. The urine container serves as a magnifying glass to capture the flames. The pee bottle collects the sun’s rays, passing them through the clear urine to concentrate the heat photons into a single point. The grass or paper will burn in this location.
- It can take some time for the paper to light. Keep holding it in place until it does. The urine bottle must be full if you want it to work.
You can watch this video if you want to see how it works.
Is Urine Hazardous?
Although urine does contain waste products, those waste products are not toxic, so to some extent, urine is not harmful. Although your urine might not be dangerous to you, other people’s urine might be. Body fluids are a category of biohazard that includes urine. Blood, vomit, human tissues, and organs are other bodily fluids.
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Your kidneys filter everything you eat and drink. You will have cellular waste and other wastes that your body does not require, in addition to the majority of it being water.
Here are three components in urine that can be hazardous:
Toxins
Your bloodstream has had waste materials filtered out of it. Despite their name, they might not be toxic but highly concentrated. Because they are harmful, your body eliminates them if they remain in the body.
If you drink pee, you’re making your kidneys work harder than they need to filter toxins again.
Medications
The kidneys are responsible for most drug elimination, particularly water-soluble medicines. Your kidneys can remove drugs from your body before or after they undergo chemical alterations (metabolization). Some medications are excreted via the kidney, whereas the bile removes others.
It will be the same as taking the medication again if you consume the pee or come into contact with it. The same drug will have two dosages for you. As your kidney tries to get rid of the drug once more, you will also stain it.
Bacteria
Numerous microorganisms live inside your body. Many live in the urinary tract as well. Unless they start to grow out of control, they might not seem harmful. Reintroducing bacteria that have already been excreted from the body can cause infections.
Read: Is Rubber Flammable?
Is Urine Flammable After Consuming Alcohol?
Even after drinking alcohol, urine is still not flammable. You can burn hard liquor, but you cannot consume enough alcohol for your urine to reach the necessary alcohol concentration. Since alcohol cannot be converted into the urine, drinking alcohol will not cause the urine to become volatile.
In addition, you need a high blood alcohol level to have enough alcohol in your urine to start a fire. You run the risk of poisoning and death by the time the alcohol content reaches that point. Here are two explanations for why pee will never accumulate enough alcohol to ignite:
- The liver breaks down more than 90% of the alcohol you consume. There won’t be much difference when you compare the remaining 10% to the 95% water content.
- The ethanol level of alcohol must reach 50% at room temperature, possibly combustible in urine. However, even 20% would be sufficient to ignite at body temperature.
But why do you often urinate more frequently after drinking alcohol? Because urine is a diuretic, causing water to be lost by urination. Alcohol can do this by preventing the hormone vasopressin from being produced. If necessary, the hormone instructs your kidney to reabsorb water rather than flush it. So if you urinate more frequently, water rather than alcohol is what you are urinating.
Should You Urinate Towards Fire?
The fact that urine is not flammable is no reason to urinate on the urine while trying to put out a fire. Keep in mind that many chemicals in the urine can cause negative reactions. Imagine getting blasted in the nose with the unpleasant combination of urine and flame. Not to mention the smell spreading to your hair and clothes.
On the other hand, if the fire is small and you’ve nothing to put out, you can urinate on it. Ensure to urinate while aiming at the fire so that the higher moisture content can ward off the fire.
Read: Is Bamboo Flammable?
Do Pee Bottles Explode?
Pee bottles do explode when they are in a warmer environment. When the bottles are disturbed, pressure will build up inside, and a chemical reaction will produce a pop sound. They won’t blow up in a blazing rage, but they can pop its top. Think about how disgusting it would be if a bottle of urine popped up in your face, and the urine wasn’t yours.
Most of the time, convenience is why someone would want to urinate in a bottle. Pee bottles littering the highways. have been recorded in most western states. Truckers have been blamed for the issue, which has been called the “truckers bomb.”
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is urea flammable?
Because urea is not flammable, adding a heat source will cause it to release gases. It is a base, hence difficult to ignite. Explosive and flammable substances burn quickly and ignite easily—more flammability results from easier burning materials. On the other hand, Urea cannot be considered flammable because it does not easily ignite and burn.
Because urea is an anti-flammable component, it has no flashpoint. It would be beneficial if you were cautious around urea-based flames, though, as their smoke is very irritating and suffocating. Additionally, the breakdown of urea produces harmful and mildly hazardous gas.
2. Why does your urine feel hot?
Your urine can feel warm for one of two primary reasons. It can be because of a burning sensation or unusually warm pee. You have an infection in both situations, so you must visit the doctor. Anything higher than the typical temperature of 98.6°F for urine is considered abnormal.
You must determine if the pee feels warmer because it is cold, though. Dysuria is the medical term for a hot, burning, or painful urinating sensation. That typically indicates an injury or infection, which can be excruciatingly painful.
Conclusion
You can start a fire even though your pee isn’t flammable. You can start your fire indirectly by putting it in a bottle and using the sun’s rays. No matter how much you drink, alcohol won’t make your urine flammable. Due to the foul smell, it would not be a good idea to urinate on fire while attempting to put it out.
Drinking urine contaminated with poisons, bacteria, or medications is dangerous.
