Developing ecofriendly sambrani and mosquito repellent using elephant dung

Abstract

India is one of the largest Sambrani-producing countries. Sambrani, a globally traded product, is burnt for fragrance. According to Bordoloi & Sharma (2007) [5] approximately, a revenue of Rupees 7.1 billion comes from the total domestic sales of Sambrani. In India significantly, about two-thirds of the domestic usage of sambrani takes place in rural areas (61.23%). Elephant dung is rich in fiber content which makes it as a suitable raw material for manufacturing mosquito repellant and sambrani. Mosquitoes are the most vital carrier of viral diseases in the urban, suburban and rural environments. They are the primary carriers of dengue, malaria, and several other diseases that may even lead to pandemic. Hence, a eco-friendly sambrani and mosquito Repellent Formulation was designed using elephant dung. The burning ability such as initial burning, final burning, flammability, time interval and ash content were recorded for sambrani. Natural ingredients like Tulsi, Neem leaves, Lemon grass oil and Natural gum were used in combination with the elephant dung to reinforce the potency of the mosquito repellent. Smoke toxicity of organic mosquito repellent was evaluated. Emission test for commercial and formulated repellent was also carried out and compared, and it is evident that there is 57% reduction in the carbon-di-oxide emission from formulated repellent than commercial repellent and there are no traces of emission of carbon monoxide from the repellent. This formulation is safe, eco-friendly, cheap, easy to use, and has maximum repellence against mosquitoes. Production of these natural repellents with elephant dung may help to increase the livelihood security of rural poor/tribal people in Tamil Nadu.