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SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION OF SUSRUTA’S BHUMI-SHODHANA
METHOD FOR PURIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL: A
PILOT STUDY ON HIMA-KASHAYA
PREPARED FROM VIDANGA (Embelia ribes Burm.f.), PATHA (Cissampelos
pareira L.) AND KATABHI (Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth.)
Abstract
Background Soil contamination by industrial pollutants is a serious public health problem in India. The Central Pollution Control Board has listed 103 heavily contaminated sites across the country, of which 21 lie in Madhya Pradesh. Susruta Samhita, Kalpasthana 3/10-12, describes a method for purification of Visha- Dushta Bhumi (poison contaminated soil) using a cold herbal infusion, Hima-Kashaya, prepared from Vidanga (Embelia ribes Burm.f.), Patha (Cissampelos pareira L.) and Katabhi (Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth.). This classical prescription has not been tested scientifically before the present study. Objectives To prepare the Hima-Kashaya formulation by the classical cold infusion method and to evaluate its effect on the physicochemical, macronutrient and micronutrient status of industrially contaminated soil collected from Bhanpur, Bhopal, and to compare the treated and untreated soil statistically by paired t-test. Methods Composite contaminated soil was divided into an untreated Control group (S1) and a Treated group (S2) which received 100 mL of freshly prepared Hima-Kashaya and was incubated for 21 days under shade at about 60 per cent moisture. Both samples were analysed at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal (Sample ID 34). Results Available Nitrogen increased by 14.61 per cent (2320 to 2659 kg/ha), Available Phosphorus by 11.11 per cent (18 to 20 kg/ha) and Available Potassium by 16.22 per cent (894 to 1039 kg/ha) in S2 as compared to S1. Organic Carbon rose by 4.73 per cent and soil pH improved from 6.62 to 6.76. Available Zinc fell by 9.84 per cent, indicating chelation and immobilisation. The paired t-test gave t = 1.9634, df = 9, p = 0.081, with a mean improvement of 25.58 per cent across ten parameters. Conclusion The Hima-Kashaya formulation produced a consistent and favourable change in nearly all the soil parameters studied. This pilot study offers the first experimental support for the Bhumi-Shodhana prescription of Susruta and opens a low cost, eco- friendly line of research for the remediation of contaminated soil.
Keywords
Visha-Dushta Bhumi ShodhanaHima- KashayaVidangaPathaKatabhisoil bioremediationheavy metal contaminationSusruta Samhita
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