Identification of Keratinophilic Fungi in Urban Waste and Cattle Field Soil of Kanpur, India for Environmental Pollution Management

Kanpur is a city which has huge number of leather product units and leather processing plants. These units are one of major contributors of keratinous waste and produces keratinous material as waste in the form of hairs, hides, dermis. During the present study 83 keratinophilic fungi were isolated from 40 soil samples of urban waste and cattle field habitat of various localities. From 20 samples of urban waste, 44 keratinophilic fungi were isolated, 39 fungi recorded from Cattle field. The frequency of genera Chrysosporium was recorded in urban waste (29.54%) and cattle field soil (20.51%). Maximum (13.83%) frequency was recorded in the case of Chrysosporium indicum in urban waste.

Charles Liernurs pneumatische riool en het besturen van bodems

Charles Liernur’s Pneumatic Sewage System and the Governing of Soils This article interrogates the epistemological conditions of Charles Liernur’s pneumatic sewage system in order to shed light on the changing relation between soils and Dutch society in the nineteenth century. The first section discusses the relation between hygienism, soil and sewage. The second section unearths how Liernur’s design related to the agricultural chemistry of Justus Liebig. Through the epistemologies and the mediating technologies that are operationalized by hygienists and chemists, soils are made governable. The final section of this article discusses the struggle to commercialise the urban waste collected by Liernur’s system, highlighting the difference between governable and governed soils.

How Organic Waste Improves Bitumen’s Characteristics

The organic fraction derived from the differentiated collection of urban waste is mainly composed of fatty acids, medium molecular weight hydrocarbons and cellulose. This peculiar composition gave us insight into the possible use of organic waste to improve bitumen’s characteristics (possible antioxidant, regenerating and/ or viscosifying additive for road pavements). The issue of the disposal of organic waste is a global one and it’s constantly of increasing concern. This study looks to alleviate this problem by finding ways for this waste fraction to be utilized for the greater good- in this case, as an additive for bitumen binder in road pavements. The present study is focused on the use of waste as it is and waste treated by the FENTON process (treatment with ferrous sulphate and hydrogen peroxide solution). Dynamic Shear Rheology (DSR) and aging tests (Rolling Thin Film Oven Test, RTFOT) showed that two of the additives tested in this study proved effective: one can be utilised as a viscosifying agent and the other can be us ed as a filler.