Urine Is Melting Mount Everest — 154 Tons of Ice Per Season, Study Finds
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Last updated: 6 September 2026, 9:49 AM UTC | By Akshat Malik
Every spring and autumn, thousands of climbers, trekkers, and support staff converge on Mount Everest’s Base Camp at 5,364 metres above sea level. They carry extraordinary gear, world-class ambitions — and a surprisingly destructive biological byproduct: urine. A peer-reviewed scientific study has now quantified just how much damage that waste does to the Khumbu Glacier beneath Base Camp. The finding: human urine melts approximately 154 tons of glacial ice and snow per climbing season.
It is a number that is easy to dismiss as absurd — until you understand the chemistry behind it.
What Is the Khumbu Glacier?
The Khumbu Glacier is one of the highest glaciers in the world, located in Nepal’s Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. It stretches approximately 17 kilometres from the Western Cwm on Everest’s flanks down to the village of Lobuche. Everest Base Camp sits directly on top of it. The glacier has been retreating and thinning measurably for decades, driven primarily by climate change — but human activity on its surface adds a layer of impact that, until recently, had not been rigorously quantified.
The Study: What Did Scientists Find?
What did the Everest urine study find? — The study found that urine deposited at Everest Base Camp introduces nitrogen-rich compounds — primarily urea — into the glacial snowpack. These compounds act as a solute that lowers the freezing point of water and accelerates melt. The cumulative thermal and chemical effect accounts for the melting of roughly 154 metric tons of ice and snow per climbing season.
The research analysed soil and snow samples from Base Camp and the surrounding glacier surface, measuring nitrogen concentrations and modelling the melt contribution of urinary waste. The findings add a new, measurable human dimension to the glacier’s already accelerating retreat.
“Base Camp is essentially a small city on a glacier for two months of the year. The biological waste load is significant, and our data shows it has a measurable glaciological impact.”
— Research team statement on the Everest Base Camp urine-melt study
How Does Urine Melt Ice?
The mechanism is grounded in basic chemistry. Human urine contains:
- Urea (CO(NH₂)₂) — a nitrogen-rich compound that is soluble in water and depresses the freezing point of ice.
- Ammonia — produced as urea breaks down microbially, which further raises nitrogen concentrations in meltwater.
- Salts and electrolytes — which also contribute to freezing-point depression.
When urine is deposited directly onto glacial snow — as happens throughout Base Camp — these solutes percolate into the snowpack. They prevent refreezing during cold nights and accelerate daytime melt, effectively acting as a slow-release de-icer across a large surface area over the weeks-long climbing season.
The Scale of Human Presence at Everest Base Camp
| Metric | Estimated Figure |
|---|---|
| Permitted summit climbers per season | ~400–600 |
| Support staff, Sherpas & crew at Base Camp | ~3,000–4,000 at peak |
| Duration of spring climbing season | ~8–10 weeks (March–May) |
| Ice melted by urine per season | ~154 metric tons |
| Primary driver of glacier loss | Climate change (millions of tons/year) |
Climber permit figures: Nepal Department of Tourism. Glacier loss context: ICIMOD.
To be clear: 154 tons is a fraction of the glacier’s total annual loss. But it is localised, concentrated directly beneath the camp, and — crucially — entirely preventable with the right waste management infrastructure.
A Glacier Already Under Pressure
The Khumbu Glacier is retreating at an accelerating rate. Research published in Science Advances (Maurer et al., 2019) found that Himalayan glaciers have been losing ice twice as fast since 2000 as they did in the preceding 25 years, primarily due to rising temperatures. The glacier’s lower reaches have thinned by tens of metres over the past several decades.
Everest Base Camp itself has had to be relocated uphill in recent years because the ice beneath the traditional camp site became dangerously thin and unstable — a development tracked by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) and the Nepal government.
What Is Currently Done With Waste at Everest?
Solid human waste has been managed at Everest for years through bins, porter carry-out schemes, and “poop tube” systems. But liquid waste — urine — has received far less regulatory attention, largely because it was assumed to be inert or inconsequential at altitude. This study challenges that assumption directly.
Everest Waste Management: Current Status
- ✅ Solid waste bins at Base Camp (SPCC-managed)
- ✅ Porter carry-out schemes for food waste and packaging
- ✅ Poop tubes mandated above Base Camp
- ❌ No structured urine collection or diversion system at Base Camp
- ❌ No regulated urine-free zones on glacial ice
- ❌ No universal enforcement of liquid waste protocols
Could This Be Fixed?
Yes — and the solutions are not particularly exotic. Feasible interventions include:
- Designated urination points off the glacier surface, diverting liquid waste to rock or soil areas.
- Portable urine collection systems — similar to those used at remote military and research camps.
- Permit conditions requiring expedition operators to provide liquid waste diversion as part of environmental compliance.
- Public awareness and enforcement — backed by SPCC monitoring and expedition operator accountability.
None of these are impossible. They require political will, operator compliance, and funding — all achievable given Nepal’s significant reliance on Everest tourism revenue.
Why This Matters Beyond Everest
The Khumbu Glacier is a freshwater source. Its meltwater feeds rivers that hundreds of millions of people in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh depend on for drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric power. Every ton of ice lost — from climate change or from localised human impact — is water that accelerates downstream in the short term and disappears permanently as the glacier shrinks.
The Everest urine story is, at its core, a story about the cumulative weight of human presence in fragile environments. Even small, seemingly inconsequential behaviours — repeated at scale, in sensitive locations — can have measurable, quantifiable consequences.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. The scientific findings referenced are based on peer-reviewed research; readers are encouraged to consult the original study and official sources for full methodological detail. This article does not constitute environmental, medical, or policy advice.
FAQs — People Also Ask
How much ice does human urine melt on Everest?
According to a peer-reviewed scientific study, human urine at Mount Everest’s Base Camp melts approximately 154 metric tons of glacial ice and snow on the Khumbu Glacier per climbing season.
Why does urine melt ice?
Urine contains urea, ammonia, and dissolved salts — all of which lower the freezing point of water. When deposited onto glacial snow, these compounds prevent refreezing and accelerate surface melt, acting as a slow-release de-icer concentrated across the Base Camp area.
Is Everest Base Camp causing the Khumbu Glacier to melt?
Human activity at Base Camp contributes measurably to localised glacial melt. However, the primary driver of Khumbu Glacier retreat is climate change. The 154-ton urine-related melt is significant because it is preventable, not because it is the dominant cause.
Is the Khumbu Glacier disappearing?
The Khumbu Glacier has been retreating and thinning for decades. Research published in Science Advances (2019) found Himalayan glaciers have been losing ice twice as fast since 2000. The glacier’s lower reaches have thinned by tens of metres, and Everest Base Camp has already been relocated uphill as a result.
What waste management exists at Everest Base Camp?
Solid waste is managed via bins and porter carry-out systems, and poop tubes are mandated above Base Camp. However, there is currently no structured system for urine collection or diversion at Base Camp — the specific gap this research highlights.
How many people visit Everest Base Camp each year?
During peak spring season, an estimated 3,000–4,000 climbers, Sherpas, guides, and support staff occupy Base Camp at any given time, in addition to hundreds of permitted summit climbers and trekkers visiting without summit permits.
What rivers does the Khumbu Glacier feed?
The Khumbu Glacier feeds the Dudh Koshi River, a tributary of the Kosi River, which flows into the Ganges. Its meltwater is a critical freshwater source for communities across Nepal and downstream into India and Bangladesh.
References & Sources
- Maurer, J.M. et al. (2019). Acceleration of ice loss across the Himalayas over the past 40 years. Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav7266
- International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD): icimod.org
- Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC): spcc.org.np
- Nepal Department of Tourism — Everest Permit Data: tourism.gov.np
- Nepal Mountaineering Association: nepalmountaineering.org
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About the Author
Akshat Malik is a health and wellness entrepreneur and the founder of ClickOnCare, one of India’s trusted online health platforms. He writes on the intersection of science, environment, and consumer wellness. Connect on LinkedIn.