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Heavy metals are toxic and can cause a variety of health problems in humans and animals. They affect the natural environment in addition to the wide range of soil fauna. Effective management of heavy metal concentrations can be achieved through the inoculation of earthworms in their habitats. Lampito mauritii, an anecic species of earthworm, is known for its ability to accumulate heavy metals in its body yellow tissues. In the present research, we examined the concentrations of heavy metals in various combinations of animal dung with kitchen waste (KW) in the feed mixture that was initially prepared, in the final vermicompost, and in the earthworm's body tissues. During the earthworm, Lampito mauritii vermicomposting process, a significant decrease in the levels of heavy metals, including cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd), was observed in all combinations of animal dung mixed with kitchen waste (KW). The concentration of Co and Ni was significantly increased (2.71% and 12.40%) in earthworm Lampito mauritii body (6.915 ± 0.004 and 7.120 ± 0.005 mg/kg) when treated in the combination of BD+KW (1:3) and BD+KW in 1:1 ratio respectively. Whereas, the concentration of Cd was maximum accumulated in the body tissue of earthworms from the combination of goat dung (0.42%, 61.899 ± 0.005 mg/kg). The results show that Lampito mauritii functions as a biological indicator and significantly decreases the number of heavy metals in the final vermicompost during vermicomposting processes. This method not only facilitates the effective management of kitchen waste but also mitigates the risk of heavy metal contamination in the human diet.

Animal dung analyses are a useful tool for vegetational studies. Preserved ruminant dung from archaeological layers offers a unique possibility for the reconstruction of past fodder management strategies, and further for studying the impact of fodder acquisition and pasturing on forests. In this case study we investigate the impact of Late Neolithic livestock keeping on the forest around the “Mooswinkel” pile dwelling at the Austrian lake Mondsee through the analysis of botanical macroremains, insect remains as well as microhistological analyses of botanical remains in animal dung. Seasonal plant parts in the dung point out that cattle, goats, and/or sheep were evidently kept inside the settlement during the winter for protection. During the daytime, they were allowed to forage around the settlement. Winter fodder consisted of dried leaf hay, hay from grasses and herbs, male flowers of early blooming bushes, and fresh twigs of evergreen species, such as fir ( Abies alba ), ivy ( Hedera helix ), and mistletoe ( Viscum album ).

Studies of the rural landscapes around the Nabataean/Roman city of Petra in Jordan have tended to assume a developmental trajectory based on that of the urban centre. Recent archaeological investigations at the site of Umm Huwaiwitat, however, shed light on the longer-term histories of human occupation and land use in the region north of Petra. Excavation has revealed Late Neolithic deposits formed by the burning of animal dung and the disposal of ash. These deposits underlie walls, today serving as agricultural terraces, which date to at least the Early Bronze Age. Umm Huwaiwitat therefore provides a microcosm of the long-lived and constantly reworked agricultural landscapes of the Middle East.

In many developing countries, fuelwood is the main energy source because it’s cheap for cooking, lighting, and heating. A review of 72 papers published after the year 2000 were used to examined fuelwood and other energy sources for cooking and lighting, and identified firewood and charcoal plant species in Ethiopia. The review thoroughly searched in Google Scholar, Research4life, Scopus/Elsevier, Research Gate, EMBASE, and PubMed using various keywords. The records noted each paper’s title, abstract, keywords, authors, year, location, fuel type, energy use, plant species, and fuel consumption by biogas users and non-users. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26, R studio and Excel 2019. Electricity is the most preferred lighting source in Ethiopia, followed by kerosene, dry cells, and candles. Fuel consumption for lighting differed significantly between fuel types, but there was no significant difference in fuel source preferences for lighting between rural and urban areas. Firewood is the most popular fuel for cooking in Ethiopia, followed by charcoal, animal dung, and electricity. The study found that fuel consumption for cooking varies significantly between different fuel types, but there was no significant difference in fuel source preferences for cooking between rural and urban areas. The review compared fuel consumption between households using biogas and those not using biogas. Non-biogas users consumed significantly more firewood and charcoal per household than biogas users. Significant differences in fuel consumption were observed for both biogas users and non-biogas users. A wide variety of plant species are used for firewood and charcoal production across Ethiopia, with the central region exhibiting the highest diversity. The study found that electricity is the preferred lighting source in Ethiopia, while firewood remains the dominant fuel for cooking. To mitigate the negative environmental, economic, and health impacts associated with traditional fuel sources, the study recommends promoting modern and environmentally friendly alternatives, such as electricity and biogas.

We used observational and experimental approaches to assess the possible functional significance of the often extensive “pavements” of livestock dung constructed by female Black Larks (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis) around their nests. These pavements are conspicuous to human observers, suggesting that they may also attract predators. The size of the pavement was correlated with, but not limited by, the density of dung in the vicinity of the nest. The relationship between pavement size and local dung density did not differ significantly between habitats or years, suggesting that females might scale their pavements according to the perceived trampling risk. Even in heavily grazed areas nest trampling was rare, and nest survival rates were similar to those in areas with few grazing animals, suggesting that pavements may reduce trampling risk without incurring an additional predation risk or, alternatively, that trampling is currently not an important threat to lark nests. An experimental manipulation of grazing animals around artificial nests yielded equivocal support for a trampling-deterrent effect of dung pavements. Dung pavements might also provide thermal benefits; experiments on artificial nests suggested that dung pavements buffer nests against extremes of heat and cold, and there was equivocal support for a positive effect of pavement size on chick tarsus growth rates. These pavements may therefore be multifunctional, but identifying the adaptive drivers of the behavior requires further research.

In recent years, fuel cells have become a renewable source of energy. Among different kinds of fuel cells, microbial fuel cells, which convert organic substrates to electricity by electrogenic bacteria have attracted most attention. In this study, which is preliminary in nature, potential of electricity generation and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were studied in a two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactor. Effect of type of feedstock and inoculum source on bioelectricity generation and COD removal was studied as well. Brewery wastewater and potato waste were used as substrates while anaerobic sludge and cow dung were used as inoculum sources. The substrate and inoculum sources were in 8.2:1 ratio and a phosphate buffer was added to the anode compartment to regulate the pH. The system was operated at 30 °C and a home-made membrane served as a bridge between the electrodes. A maximum voltage of 3.6 mV was generated from the brewery wastewater sludge and the maximum COD removal after 3 days was 43.7 %. It was further found that the use of animal dung as inoculum source outperformed the use of sludge as regard the bioelectricity generation but not for COD removal. Similarly, the use of the brewery waste as an organic substrate outperformed the use of potato waste as regard the bioelectricity generation but not for COD removal. All experiments yielded a measurable voltage, however, the unsteady behaviour of the voltage output made it difficult to compare substrates in terms of their viability as organic fuel. Therefore, future studies should consider conducting substrate physico-chemical analysis and genomic analysis of the inoculum sources to understand their composition.

Purpose The aim of this study was to recycle and reuse the enormously available unutilized lignocellulosic solid organic waste resource, cashew leaf litter (CLL) admixed with various animal dungs, cowdung, sheepdung and horsedung by employing predominantly available indigenous epigeic earthworm— Perionyx excavatus (Perrier, 1872) and produce quality vermifertilizer. Methods Four different combinations of each [(100 % dung alone, 3:1 (75 % dung + 25 % CLL), 2:2 (50 % dung + 50 % CLL) and 1:3 (25 % dung + 75 % CLL)] vermibeds were allowed for vermicomposting process under laboratory conditions. After 60 days, the worm worked vermicompost and worm unworked normal compost were harvested and characterized. The earthworm activity—growth, reproductive performance (cocoon production and hatchling number) and recovery of vermicompost was also studied. Results The obtained results clearly showed that vermicompost from CLL admixed with cowdung at 2:2 ratio had lower pH, organic carbon, C – N ratio, C – P ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and phenol content, and higher nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium dehydrogenase and humic acid content than the raw substrates and worm unworked normal compost. In addition, pronounced and better earthworm activity was found in the above combination. Conclusion Through vermitechnology way of producing agronomic valid vermicompost using natural waste resources like CLL and animal dungs can be used as bio-organic fertilizer. These vermiresources have vast and diversified potential for maintaining sustainable soil health, fertility, productivity, waste degradation, soil reclamation, land restoration practices and environment health.

The article presents the results of a comparative technological analysis of Hassuna culture pottery from Yarim Tepe I (6th millennium BC) from the lower and middle horizons. The technological stages of selecting the clay and organic materials, the composition of the clay paste and the surface treatment, but also certain issues related to the ornamentation and firing of the pottery are presented in the article.

We used observational and experimental approaches to assess the possible functional significance of the often extensive “pavements” of livestock dung constructed by female Black Larks (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis) around their nests. These pavements are conspicuous to human observers, suggesting that they may also attract predators. The size of the pavement was correlated with, but not limited by, the density of dung in the vicinity of the nest. The relationship between pavement size and local dung density did not differ significantly between habitats or years, suggesting that females might scale their pavements according to the perceived trampling risk. Even in heavily grazed areas nest trampling was rare, and nest survival rates were similar to those in areas with few grazing animals, suggesting that pavements may reduce trampling risk without incurring an additional predation risk or, alternatively, that trampling is currently not an important threat to lark nests. An experimental manipulation of grazing animals around artificial nests yielded equivocal support for a trampling-deterrent effect of dung pavements. Dung pavements might also provide thermal benefits; experiments on artificial nests suggested that dung pavements buffer nests against extremes of heat and cold, and there was equivocal support for a positive effect of pavement size on chick tarsus growth rates. These pavements may therefore be multifunctional, but identifying the adaptive drivers of the behavior requires further research.

Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest countries. Nearly 80 percent of the nation's 140 million people reside in rural areas; of these, 20 percent live in extreme poverty. Geographically, many low-lying areas are vulnerable to severe flooding, while other regions are prone to drought, erosion, and soil salinity. Such an unfavorable agricultural landscape, combined with mismanagement of natural resources and increasing population pressure, is pushing many of the rural poor to the brink. Because Bangladesh is such a poor country, it also is one of the world's lowest energy producers. Total annual energy supply is only about 150 liters of oil equivalent per capita (International Energy Agency, or IEA 2003); in rural areas, conditions are even worse. Compared to other developing countries, Bangladesh uses little modern energy. Despite its successful rural electrification program, close to two-thirds of households remain without electricity and, with the exception of kerosene, commercial fuels are beyond reach for many. Moreover, biomass fuels are becoming increasingly scarce. Collected mainly from the local environment as recently as two decades ago, bio-fuels are fast becoming a marketed commodity as access to local biomass continues to shrink. This study, the first to concentrate on Bangladesh's energy systems and their effects on the lives of rural people, drew on these background studies, as well as other World Bank-financed research on indoor air pollution (IAP) and rural infrastructure, to present a rural energy strategy for the country. Much of this study's analytical underpinning was based on several background studies. This study also reanalyzed data from earlier research to better understand the benefits of modern energy use for rural households, farm activities, and small businesses.