**2. WFE Nexus: humic substances**

### **2.1 Sustainability through humic substance fecundity**

Sustainability is not the futuristic projection of survival but is the continuous mechanism of proliferation just like the evolution of life. The evolutionary journey from the prebiotic world to today's most complex homochiral D-sugars, L-amino acids organisms; we sapiens, are the product of spatial characteristics and elemental selectivity of Humic Substances (HS), the originator of life! [4] The first organic machinery in proplanetary disk, HS is approximately four billion years old and is the bridge which connects no-life to life [5]. The Miller's experiments gave the first proof of HS as the placenta of evolution and this theory has been supported by many researchers [6, 7]. Owing to its universal properties, HS are popularly known as 'the black gold of the earth' by farmers and 'the black box' by soil analysts [8].

Soil is an ecosystem as a whole and acts as a modifier of planet Earth's atmosphere. The organic matter present in it originates mainly from plant metabolites with the onset of senescence and humification. Humic Substances are defined as a heterogeneous mixture of morphologically changed degradation products of biomolecules which on humification give rise to a family of amorphous, polyelectrolytic, polydisperse and colloidal compounds [9]. HS are universally recognized as chemically, biologically, and physically active due to the typical composition, macromolecular structure, polyfuntionality, surface properties, and presence of multiple reactive sites, variable size-shapes, and intrinsic porosity [10]. Operationally, HSs are usually extracted at high pH and classified into three categories based on their solubility: acid-soluble Fulvic acid (FA), acid-insoluble Humic acid (HA), and base-insoluble Humins with the average properties and a large assembly of components with diverse structure and molecular weight [11].

Humic substances exhibit exceptional characteristics for soil conditioning. HS have shown to contain auxin-like activities [12] and hence they are successfully used in agronomy, environmental, industrial, medicinal, and pharmaceutical fields [13, 14]. Besides providing nutrients and aeration to the soil, they interact and bind with toxic heavy metals, radionuclides, pesticides, industrial dyes, and other xenobiotics that may be present as pollutants in the ecosystem, thus acting as natural sieves. HS mimics geochemical barrier and hence potentially can be used as a filling material for barrier walls to prevent transport and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil [15]. HS can significantly reduce the acute toxicity of metals and bioavailability

**25**

*Dry Cowdung Powder - Novel Unearthed Humus: Sustains Water-Food-Energy Nexus*

of metals. It plays a crucial role in the inactivation of pesticides, heavy metals, and other polluting agents. The various studies on HS, have confirmed a great potential for an application in aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment as well as in bioremediation [16]. Study of HS has proven to be a robust approach in resolving environmental issues and developing meaningful paths for modification steps [17]. HS provides insights into pollutant mobility, behavior, and fate, and allows better understanding of natural mitigation phenomena and potential impact on the

Our global scientific community has univocal conscience on how amazing and myriad utilization of HS have been fructified in almost every sectors of life since the inception of life. Being ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic niche, HS is

Entire ecosystem is governed by many layers and sectors, inter and intra connected, independent yet mutually operating native ecosystems. The concept of WFE Nexus is very much like the vertices of an equilateral tripod, regulating the survival of life. Irrespective of its alphabetical or chronological order, there is a need to govern and manage inter and intra disciplinary synergy to ensure fundamental and survival rights of clean air, food, and water to our future generations. Governing the Nexus is probably one of the grand challenges of current time, as quoted by Jeremy Allouche et.al, explicitly explaining the reason for complexity in the management of so called 'nirvana concept' of nexus [19]. Author's justification on 'Nexus or Nexuses?' indicates that holistic, comprehensive, and integrated implementation of the scientific aptitude is required to achieve the goal of global sustainability. Nexuses, is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single sector or a paradigm or set of assumptions. Instead, it appeals upon multiple scientific theories or principles to gain complementary insights according to geography and climate of the sector. It does not appreciate the 'silo' concept or 'two at once' methodology to address the sustainability issues, but focuses on simultaneous operating approach. A review by A. Hamidov and K. Helming [20] rationalizes that to improve cross-sectoral coordination in support of sustainable development, WFE nexus has become an important concept in natural resource management. On the same note, Zhang et al. [21] suggests, shifting the focus to WFE nexus is valuable but downplaying their interrelations can have adverse consequences on the entire biota. Hence, there is a need for the balanced approach with 'no-regrets' solution as

Resources produce waste and it is undoubtedly inseparable from any sector of life, omnipresent both inside and outside of our existence. Globally, hulk of waste is directly or indirectly connected to production of humus and hence HS plays a very important role in Waste Management (WM). WM [23] is the collection, transport, processing, monitoring, and recycling or disposal of the waste material. It is based on waste hierarchy [24] of reduce, reuse, and recycle coined with re-think. The effective implementation and maintenance of stipulated laws requires legions of regulators. It offers an efficient means of managing waste that fits ideally with the needs of large population centers, while providing a source of alternative and renewable energy [25]. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) is a philosophy of energy production using the waste and its role in enhancing all interconnected nexuses, is gaining high importance in every nation [26, 27]. 'Nothing of Nature is a Waste' and 'Waste is Green Commodity' aptly describes DCP and our research on its application

considered to play a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem.

**2.2 Managing nexus through humus and waste**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98476*

environment [18].

studied by Konadu et al. [22].

proves its pivotal role in sustaining the Nexus.

#### *Dry Cowdung Powder - Novel Unearthed Humus: Sustains Water-Food-Energy Nexus DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98476*

of metals. It plays a crucial role in the inactivation of pesticides, heavy metals, and other polluting agents. The various studies on HS, have confirmed a great potential for an application in aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment as well as in bioremediation [16]. Study of HS has proven to be a robust approach in resolving environmental issues and developing meaningful paths for modification steps [17]. HS provides insights into pollutant mobility, behavior, and fate, and allows better understanding of natural mitigation phenomena and potential impact on the environment [18].

Our global scientific community has univocal conscience on how amazing and myriad utilization of HS have been fructified in almost every sectors of life since the inception of life. Being ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic niche, HS is considered to play a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem.

### **2.2 Managing nexus through humus and waste**

Entire ecosystem is governed by many layers and sectors, inter and intra connected, independent yet mutually operating native ecosystems. The concept of WFE Nexus is very much like the vertices of an equilateral tripod, regulating the survival of life. Irrespective of its alphabetical or chronological order, there is a need to govern and manage inter and intra disciplinary synergy to ensure fundamental and survival rights of clean air, food, and water to our future generations. Governing the Nexus is probably one of the grand challenges of current time, as quoted by Jeremy Allouche et.al, explicitly explaining the reason for complexity in the management of so called 'nirvana concept' of nexus [19]. Author's justification on 'Nexus or Nexuses?' indicates that holistic, comprehensive, and integrated implementation of the scientific aptitude is required to achieve the goal of global sustainability. Nexuses, is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single sector or a paradigm or set of assumptions. Instead, it appeals upon multiple scientific theories or principles to gain complementary insights according to geography and climate of the sector. It does not appreciate the 'silo' concept or 'two at once' methodology to address the sustainability issues, but focuses on simultaneous operating approach.

A review by A. Hamidov and K. Helming [20] rationalizes that to improve cross-sectoral coordination in support of sustainable development, WFE nexus has become an important concept in natural resource management. On the same note, Zhang et al. [21] suggests, shifting the focus to WFE nexus is valuable but downplaying their interrelations can have adverse consequences on the entire biota. Hence, there is a need for the balanced approach with 'no-regrets' solution as studied by Konadu et al. [22].

Resources produce waste and it is undoubtedly inseparable from any sector of life, omnipresent both inside and outside of our existence. Globally, hulk of waste is directly or indirectly connected to production of humus and hence HS plays a very important role in Waste Management (WM). WM [23] is the collection, transport, processing, monitoring, and recycling or disposal of the waste material. It is based on waste hierarchy [24] of reduce, reuse, and recycle coined with re-think. The effective implementation and maintenance of stipulated laws requires legions of regulators. It offers an efficient means of managing waste that fits ideally with the needs of large population centers, while providing a source of alternative and renewable energy [25]. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) is a philosophy of energy production using the waste and its role in enhancing all interconnected nexuses, is gaining high importance in every nation [26, 27]. 'Nothing of Nature is a Waste' and 'Waste is Green Commodity' aptly describes DCP and our research on its application proves its pivotal role in sustaining the Nexus.

*Humic Substances*

ability [2, 3].

soil analysts [8].

**2. WFE Nexus: humic substances**

**2.1 Sustainability through humic substance fecundity**

nents with diverse structure and molecular weight [11].

Nonetheless, current pandemic Covid-19 has sparked SOS to refurbish the global policies of governance and accelerate scientific eclecticism towards sustaining the WFE Nexus by participating in Sustainable Ecosystem Management (SEM). The philosophy of SEM is pegged on adaptive management and holistic consideration of ecological resources. It is environmentally sensitive, ecosystem, and eco-regional based [1]. It emphasizes on balancing long-term sustainability of ecosystems with human needs and moves beyond compartmentalized focus on some species and regions, to holistic management of natural resources amidst hindrances of rising resource of demand, population increase, and climate vari-

The aim of this study is to evaluate, equate and exercise the application of novel humiresin- unearthed, ecology-economy friendly, zero-waste prototype Dry

Sustainability is not the futuristic projection of survival but is the continuous mechanism of proliferation just like the evolution of life. The evolutionary journey from the prebiotic world to today's most complex homochiral D-sugars, L-amino acids organisms; we sapiens, are the product of spatial characteristics and elemental selectivity of Humic Substances (HS), the originator of life! [4] The first organic machinery in proplanetary disk, HS is approximately four billion years old and is the bridge which connects no-life to life [5]. The Miller's experiments gave the first proof of HS as the placenta of evolution and this theory has been supported by many researchers [6, 7]. Owing to its universal properties, HS are popularly known as 'the black gold of the earth' by farmers and 'the black box' by

Soil is an ecosystem as a whole and acts as a modifier of planet Earth's atmosphere. The organic matter present in it originates mainly from plant metabolites with the onset of senescence and humification. Humic Substances are defined as a heterogeneous mixture of morphologically changed degradation products of biomolecules which on humification give rise to a family of amorphous, polyelectrolytic, polydisperse and colloidal compounds [9]. HS are universally recognized as chemically, biologically, and physically active due to the typical composition, macromolecular structure, polyfuntionality, surface properties, and presence of multiple reactive sites, variable size-shapes, and intrinsic porosity [10]. Operationally, HSs are usually extracted at high pH and classified into three categories based on their solubility: acid-soluble Fulvic acid (FA), acid-insoluble Humic acid (HA), and base-insoluble Humins with the average properties and a large assembly of compo-

Humic substances exhibit exceptional characteristics for soil conditioning. HS have shown to contain auxin-like activities [12] and hence they are successfully used in agronomy, environmental, industrial, medicinal, and pharmaceutical fields [13, 14]. Besides providing nutrients and aeration to the soil, they interact and bind with toxic heavy metals, radionuclides, pesticides, industrial dyes, and other xenobiotics that may be present as pollutants in the ecosystem, thus acting as natural sieves. HS mimics geochemical barrier and hence potentially can be used as a filling material for barrier walls to prevent transport and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil [15]. HS can significantly reduce the acute toxicity of metals and bioavailability

Cowdung Powder (DCP) towards sustaining WFE Nexus and ecosystem.

**24**

#### **2.3 Unearthed humus DCP- zero waste prototype**

The pedosphere or soil body is rich in organic matter, soil fauna, minerals, water, gases, that together support life. It comprises of weathered rocks from the lithosphere, trapped air pockets from the atmosphere, moisture from the hydrosphere, along with decomposing matter from the biosphere, and is thus known as an interface between these subsystems. Besides purifying water in terrestrial systems, soils process decaying matter from the biosphere and recycle nutrients back into the food chain. The pedosphere thus interconnects with other spheres and regulates life processes.

Humus, the organic matter in soil, permits better aeration, enhances the absorption, releases nutrients, and makes the soil less susceptible to leaching and erosion, thus the agent of soil's vitality. Soils contain more organic carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined; therefore, mineralization of soil organic matter and release of carbon versus humification processes, could greatly affect carbon capture and stabilization, and consequently the global climate change. Carbon sequestration and storage in soils provide an important means of reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to mitigate predicted climate changes [28].

The aforementioned qualities of HS make it a very powerful tool not only in sustenance of WFE Nexus but its essential role in mitigation of climate change. This draws our attention towards requirement of highly appropriate method for the Selection of HS products as there are enormous variety of HS available globally. The quality and composition of any mined or extracted Humates or HS depends on many different factors as HS are essentially time and climate dependent.

Under ideal conditions, the turnover time of organic carbon added in form of HS each year from plant and animal residues into the soil, averages approximately 30 years [29]. Due to this time constraint in production of fresh humus, we face many challenges ovulated due to multiple sites and over digging of soils. Also, soil humus development is highly affected by seasonal change, litter type and time, hot or cold climate and freeze–thaw cycle [30]. Studies by Dou et al. have explained that freeze–thaw cycles can even destroy the structure of newly formed humus [31]. Nonetheless, a good HS material can be destroyed by improper mining or processing. Hence the mining and the extraction of HS must be meticulously processed as any error or shift in parameters may change their physicochemical properties.

Thus, it is fundamentally important to extract them with minimal change into its original structure [32]. The physical process of removing the ores or materials from the ground is disruptive to the environment and alarming questions regarding the statutory norms for safety are overwhelming. Also, the pre and post process for concentration of raw material and final product is time consuming and makes an essential call for the higher degree of purification. This leads to the generation of many undesirable chemical steps, adding to cost of actual extraction process as well as stress on environmental safety.

To solve this complicated situation, we bring the concept of Unearthed Humus, DCP – clean, economical, and essentially inert to any climatic condition, due to its generation in to the biotic environment of cow's rumen. It is with least contaminants as the process of Humification takes place during the period of 1 month of Sun drying, hence conditioning of any type is not required thanks to its biological matrix. These qualities of DCP projects the Zero Waste concept of Waste Management, boosting Green Chemistry principles. Zero Waste Management is the holistic concept of waste management which recognizes waste as a resource produced during the interim phase of the process of resource consumption [33]. The prime objective of this protocol is based on the sustainable avoidance and management of waste and

**27**

*Dry Cowdung Powder - Novel Unearthed Humus: Sustains Water-Food-Energy Nexus*

Waste Prototype in comparison with all the HSs used at present.

**2.4 Green solution to soil pollution: DCP- agrarian booster**

resources. This makes us very positive to conclude that Unearthed DCP is the Zero

Soil is a heavenly resource, a living, breathing and ever-changing dynamic ecosystem. The theory of Biorhexistasy, describes two crucial climatic phases of soil i.e., Biostasy, period of soil formation and Rhexistasy, periods of soil erosion [34]. The theory emphasizes on the role of climatic conditions that initiate pedogenesis and subsequent soil retrogression. For example, moist climates promote the chemical deterioration of rocks, leading to formation of soils and improvement in vegetation, which reflects the period of biostasy. On the other hand, dry climates and winds bring about displacement of soils and mechanical disintegration of exposed rocks, leading to the unfavorable period of rhexistasy or soil erosion and degradation. The two stages occur in cyclic form and control soil quality and vegetation.

Extended periods of rhexistasy lead to ever-increasing soil degradation.

plants, thus reversing the adverse effects of salt stress [35].

best contenders for soil replenishing and rejuvenation.

**2.5 Waste to green energy: DCP- biofuel**

agriculture, and industry [38].

**2.6 Wastewater remediation: DCP - Humiresin**

systems of reactor and reprocessing waste.

Thus, due to soil erosion, salination, and extreme acidification, large portions of arable land lose their fertility. The scale of this agrarian distress can be improved by the addition of HA, which promotes root growth and induces salt tolerance in

For economizing the addition of HA into soils, DCP can be used since it is freely available and inexpensive. Addition of DCP initiates the biotransformation of saline soils and enhances their humus content. Due to the rich microbial biota and chemically inert properties, DCP has been utilized as a soil conditioner and fertilizer since ancient times. Thus, we reiterate that DCP is soil's Green ambrosia and one of the

As any other non-conventional and renewable green source of energy, DCP has been explored as biofuel and proves to be pseudo shale, boosting renewable energy sector. Feng et al. have developed a high-performance anode from carbonized cow dung for bio-electrochemical systems [36]. Kumar et al. found that in the generation of electricity, natural cow dung was found more suitable as it generated 150.9 mV Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) [37]. There is a review by Gupta et al., focusing on recent findings on cow dung harnessed for biofuel production and management of environmental pollutants and its usage in different areas such as medicine,

The research work of Bagla et al., has examined and justified an innovative and concrete role of DCP in the bioremediation of toxic metal pollutants and hazardous radionuclides from the pool of various effluents using Radiotracer technique. Notable heavy metal pollutants like trivalent and hexavalent chromium, cadmium [39], mercury [40], silver [41], zinc [42] have been eliminated from aqueous systems using DCP as a biosorbent. Similarly, radionuclides commonly found in radioactive waste - 60Co, 90Sr and 137Cs [43, 44], have been removed from simulated

Being freely and easily available DCP has an edge over processed natural adsorbent considering their cost, time, and energy efficiency. Also, DCP does not impart any foul odor to treated water, nor does it lead to increase in biomass, unlike other natural adsorbents. DCP used for heavy metal adsorption can be subjected

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98476*

resources. This makes us very positive to conclude that Unearthed DCP is the Zero Waste Prototype in comparison with all the HSs used at present.
