Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: david77 on 06/05/2019 12:18:36

Title: What happens to all the hair that is shaved off or cut, how does it decompose?
Post by: david77 on 06/05/2019 12:18:36

hello everyone,

And is there any use for it in terms of benefiting the environment?

Just shaved of my beard after letting it grow for many months. So much damn hair that I threw in the trash. And it got me thinking about all the excess hair after we groom ourselves, and what even happens to it. It must reach tons by now when factoring in all the humans on the planet probably? At any rate how does it decompose, what eats hair? And how does it benefit our general ecological system?

Title: Re: What happens to all the hair that is shaved off or cut, how does it decompose?
Post by: Bored chemist on 06/05/2019 13:18:47

Quote from: david77 on 06/05/2019 12:18:36

what eats hair?

Notoriously, "moths". Strictly speaking it's their larvae that eat woolen goods.
Hair is protein and there are bacteria that will eat it.
Even without microbiological help, the keratin will very slowly hydrolyse if it is wet.

Title: Re: What happens to all the hair that is shaved off or cut, how does it decompose?
Post by: Rodin1880 on 19/05/2019 05:12:11

Initially, today because our fear of wasting water, it gathers in the sink trap with the toothpaste spit, until it creates a clog!!! We are currently entering a crisis mode with our plumbing... low volume shower heads, low volume toilets, low volume faucets are all contributing to main line drain clogs... Think about how far 1 gallon of water will push a turd in a pipe... How far is it from your toilet to the main sewer line? When you shave, and brush your teeth, turn on the water and leave it running, rinse your razor under the running water... allow the water in the trap to flow into the drains, not sit there allowing the toothpaste and shavings to become a clunker... at least once a month you should run your garden hose into your main cleanout full blast to rinse everything down to the city sewer, to make room for next month's inadequately flushed items...