Agricultural Industrial Waste Research Articles

Comparative analysis of biochar production methods and their impacts on biochar physico-chemical properties and adsorption of heavy metals

Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth result in vast amounts of organic waste being produced, including agricultural waste, animal waste, industrial waste, sewage sludge, and municipal solid waste. Biochar production from solid waste has become a popular waste management method. However, in rural areas of developing nations, biomass is typically used for cooking without being charred. Urban biowaste-derived biochar may enhance soil fertility and overall soil health. However, large-scale biochar production from an electronic muffle furnace could be very expensive, and there is little information on the conversion of biowastes to biochar using traditional kilns or its effects on biochar characteristics, and farmers' biochar production methods are yet underdeveloped. Hence, this study provides biochar production from biowastes using two production methods: 1) a traditional kiln (a tin kiln) intended for use by small farmers and gardeners, and 2) a laboratory muffle furnace, with the aim of evaluating biochar characteristics. Biochar produced in a muffle furnace and tin kiln has found similar physicochemical and adsorption properties at the same pyrolysis conditions. They include high pH, EC, CEC, Pava, Ca, Mg, K, and carbon content. We expect these biochars to have larger long-term effects on agricultural characteristics and soil carbon sequestration. However, the present results might be utilized to drive cleaner biochar production for agricultural use in developing nations, which may multiply local producer benefits.

Co-production of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid from distiller grain by a putative feruloyl esterase discovered in metagenome assembled genomes

The brewing industry generates a large amount of distillation waste, causing environmental pollution and resource wastage. In this study, a putative gene encoding feruloyl esterase detected in 33 bins using metagenomic sequencing, was expressed to exogenously to generate a recombinase with a molecular weight of 40.8 KDa. The feruloyl esterase has been optimized through codon optimization and signal peptide truncation to exhibit optimal activity at pH 6.0 and 50 °C, specifically when using 4-nitrophenyl trans-ferulate as its substrate. By employing this enzyme, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid were simultaneously produced using brewing waste of distilled spent grain with husk. The yield of the two phenolic acids amounted to 91.2 μg and 89.25 μg from 1 g of distilled spent grain with husk, respectively. Although the yield obtained was lower than that from wheat bran and corn cob, the strategy serves as a model for the high-value utilization of brewing waste and has hold application potential. The integration of enzyme catalysis and metagenomic sequencing revealed a significant importance for clean production from agricultural processing industrial waste.

A Sustainable Bio-Filler for Epoxy Composites: Use of Pistachio Shell Powder

The use of natural materials has become a crucial concern for humanity due to the limited quantity of petroleum-based products and their harmful impact on nature. The use of natural materials is inevitable for a greener and more sustainable world. Transforming agricultural industrial waste into a high-value product or a source of fuel can significantly benefit our country's economy and environment. Pistachio shell is one of the agro-industrial wastes and is abundant in our country. Our country can benefit economically and environmentally by utilizing and repurposing discarded shells, whether as fuel or as a valuable commodity. In this study, the shells of pistachios grown in Şanlıurfa were crushed in a stone mortar and reduced to certain sizes and turned into powder. Later, this powder was used as a bio-filler material for epoxy resin. Powders were used at 1% and 2% additive ratios and homogeneous mixing was carried out using both magnetic and ultrasonic mixers. The mechanical properties of the obtained biofilled epoxies were investigated and their microstructures were analyzed. Tensile test, bending test and hardness test were performed as mechanical tests and densities were measured. An improvement of 8% and 15% was detected in the maximum tensile and bending strength, respectively. The hardness and density values also increased by 8% and 1.7%, respectively. As a result of the microstructure analysis, no air bubbles were formed in the samples and no agglomeration occurred. Obtained results revealed that pistachio shell grown in Şanlıurfa can be used as bio-filler material.

The study of fermented compound feeds from agricultural production waste and processing industry

The article is devoted to the study of quality and safety indicators of compound feeds made from agricultural and processing industry waste under the influence of microbiological fermentation. Compound feeds of the following formulation were studied: recipe No. 1: beer pellet -40%; wheat bran – 20.0 %; sunflower cake - 20%; mushroom substrate – 20%; recipe No. 2: beer pellet - 40%; wheat bran – 10.0%; sunflower cake - 10 %; mushroom substrate – 30%; recipe No. 3: beer pellet – 40%; wheat bran – 10.0%; sunflower cake - 20%; mushroom substrate – 20 %; recipe No. 4: beer pellet - 29%; wheat bran – 54.0%; sunflower cake - 17%; recipe No. 5: beer pellet – 25%; soy – 75.0%. The purpose of our research was to study the quality and safety indicators of compound feeds made up of agricultural and processing industry waste after microbiological fermentation with Lesnov's starter culture. It has been established that recipes No. 5 and No. 4 are the most preferable in terms of the content of metabolic energy for cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. The content of mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin), microscopic mold fungi and yeast, pesticides (malathion, pyrimithophosmethyl, cypermethrin, diflubenzuron), nitrates and nitrites, lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury in fermented compound feeds of various formulations did not exceed MDU; GMO not detected. When choosing recipes, it is necessary to take into account the physicochemical parameters of fermented compound feeds and the peculiarities of animal digestion (single-chamber or multi-chamber stomachs).

Highly Porous Copper Catalysts for Electrochemical Ammonia Production from Nitrate-Containing Waste Water

Nitrate from agricultural runoff and industrial waste streams is one of the major impurities in water. As high level of nitrate in drinking water may cause methemoglobinemia in infants and gastrointestinal cancer in adults, previous efforts on electrochemical wastewater treatment have aimed to solve this problem by converting nitrates to environmentally benign nitrogen gas. In the present study, we adjust this approach and propose an opportunity to transform nitrates to ammonia, which can serve as a key chemical used in fertilizer and fuel. Additionally, the electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia can also offer an appealing alternative to the energy- and resource-intensive Haber-Bosch process. In this work, we explore the structure-activity relationship of copper catalysts using Cu foil, Cu particle, and porous Cu in terms of their performances in electrochemical nitrate reduction toward ammonia. Under the optimal conditions, the synthesized porous Cu exhibits a nitrate conversion of 84% with an ammonia selectivity of 85% and a Faraday efficiency of 58% at an applied potential of -0.75 V. Further investigations on surface structural effects reveal that the electrochemical surface area and the fraction of (111) crystal facet on porous Cu are significantly larger than other Cu materials, impacting their catalytic activity for electrochemical ammonia production. Figure 1

First Optimization of Tomato Pomace in Diets for Tenebrio molitor (L.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Tomato pomace (TP), an agricultural industrial waste product from the tomato processing industry, is valorized as a rearing substrate for Tenebrio molitor (L.). This study evaluated bran-based diets with increasing tomato pomace (0%, 27%, 41%, and 100%). Protein sources, such as brewer's spent grain and yeast, were used in TP27 and TP41 diets to ensure equal protein contents to the control diet. Results showed no different for larval and pupal weights between diets; however, the time of development significantly increases in TP100 compared to all diets. The feed conversion rate progressively increases from 2.7 to 4.3, respectively, from the control to the TP100 diet. Conversely, lycopene and β-carotene increase in the larvae. The fatty acid composition improves by increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly α-linoleic acid). Although the best nutritional quality was obtained in T100, the TP41 is the optimal diet for balance between larval performance and qualitative improvement of larvae. Therefore, tomato pomace is suitable for the formulation of mealworm diets, even in high dosages, when supplemented with sustainable protein and carbohydrate sources.

Pengaruh Penambahan Bottom Ash Dan Fly Ash Sebagai Bahan Subtitusi Campuran Beton

The development of construction development is currently experiencing rapid progress, which has led to an increase in demand for construction materials. Therefore, other materials are needed as or at least materials capable of reducing the use of aggregate for use in making concrete. This effort is an alternative to utilizing waste from the agricultural plantation industry or factory waste that is left alone. The aim of this research is to analyze the characteristics and compressive strength of concrete with bottom ash as a fine aggregate additive and fly ash as an additive to cement. The location for the concrete making research was carried out at the UPTD Construction Laboratory of the water resources and community development service of the Southeast Sulawesi provincial government. With a total of 16 test objects, they were printed in a cylindrical shape with dimensions of 30 x 15 cm. Based on compressive strength testing with an f'c quality plan of 20 MPa, with 10% substitution of fly ash as cement and bottom ash as fine aggregate with variations of 10%, 15%, 20%, the compressive strength decreased. for 7 days of age respectively, it is 12.31 MPa, 11.89 MPa, and 11.46 MPa. Meanwhile, at the age of 28 days, respectively, it was 19.11 MPa, 16.99 MPa and 15.29 Mpa

An all-natural, bioinspired, biodegradable electrical insulating composite based on lignocellulose and mica tailings

The rapid development of modern electrical engineering puts forward urgent demand for high-performance electrical insulating materials. In this study, inspired by the layered structure of natural nacre, we present a novel biomimetic composite insulating film (referred to as M/C film) that is derived from agricultural waste corncobs and industrial waste mica tailings through a sol-gel-film transformation process. The novel insulating film has excellent tensile strength (94 MPa), high dielectric strength (68 kV mm−1), low dielectric loss, good heat resistance (T0 = 235 °C), and excellent UV shielding properties. Meanwhile, the M/C film presents environmental impacts much lower than those petrochemical-based plastic film as it can be 100 % recycled in a closed-loop recycling process and easily biodegraded in the environment (lignocellulose goes back to the carbon cycle and the mica return to the geological cycle). It is a potential alternative for petrochemical plastics and provides a possible way to utilize agricultural waste and mica tailings.

Investigation of mechanical and thermo-mechanical characteristics of silane-treated cellulose nanofibers from agricultural waste reinforced epoxy adhesive composites

The issue of deforestation has been of considerable concern in recent years. So as to contribute to a solution to this problem a major aim of this study has been to develop a sustainable environment by using agricultural industry waste in structural applications rather than wood. By this way, the study employed cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) derived from red banana empty fruit bunches to solve issues related to landfill gas emissions and the simultaneous utilization of organic wastes. The impact of silane treatment on the physicochemical, thermal, and morphological properties of CNFs was examined. Compression moulding was utilized to make different loading levels of silane-treated CNFs (SCNFs) reinforced epoxy nanocomposites. The resultant nanocomposites were evaluated by using various physical, mechanical, thermal, and micro-structural characterization tests. Properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, glass transition temperature, micro-hardness, thermal stability, and so forth, were evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed the size and distribution patterns of the SCNFs in an epoxy matrix. Coefficient of effectiveness, cole-cole plots, and cross-link density studies confirmed the adhesion behavior of SCNFs with epoxy resin as a function of SCNF loading. All the findings led to the conclusion that the SCNF reinforced epoxy composites would make suitable materials for lightweight structural applications.

Experimental investigation on sun-dried bricks with addition of lignin

Brick is one of the oldest building material used for masonry works in construction. A major problem that exist in construction field is extinction of traditional as well as conventional building materials like bricks, cement, etc. And also achieving inadequate strength in building due to reduced usage of natural raw materials. The abundant availability of bio-wastes and their impacts on the environment is the major problem faced in recent times. Coconut husk is an agricultural & coir industrial waste present in abundant quantity, which is being dumped on the roadside and disposed by incineration process. This leads to environmental pollution due to emission of CO2 during incineration of coconut husk. This project attempts to provide an alternative for the above issues. It carry out an experimental study to extract suitable product from organic waste and effective addition of this product to existing building materials. This will help in improving the strength, durability and quality of the material. And also the experiments are carried out to study the properties of the material. The expected inference from this project is improvement of compressive strength of the unburnt bricks with the addition of the tissue (lignin) that has been extracted from the coir pith. The project deals with extraction process of lignin from coconut husk in an inexpensive way and addition of the lignin to bricks and comparison of properties to that of conventional bricks and obtained unburnt clay bricks.

Analysis of the Characteristics of Bio-Coal Briquettes from Agricultural and Coal Industry Waste

One of the options for reducing harmful emissions in the production of heat energy is the use of biomass, including in combination with industrial waste (for instance, coal and coke dust). Recent studies demonstrate that a mix of biomass and coal makes it possible to obtain a bio-coal briquette with better characteristics, which is a motivating factor in the search for alternative sources of heat energy from local agricultural waste. The aim of this research is to study the properties of bio-coal briquettes from biomass (sunflower husks and leaves) and industrial waste (coal and coke dust). The raw material was grinded and used for the production of bio-coal briquettes of 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% of biomass. The biomass was grinded to the size of no more than 2 mm for the fine fraction and no more than 6 mm for the coarse fraction. The briquettes were made mechanically using a hydraulic press with a compression pressure of 25 MPa without the use of any binder. The characteristics of the investigated bio-coal briquettes, such as density, strength, moisture content, ash content, volatile yield, calorific value, ignition time, burning duration, and burning rate, have good enough values. The fine fraction briquettes compared to the coarse fraction briquettes have a longer burning time (about threefold longer) and a lower burning rate. For all briquettes, an increase in the composition of coal dust results in a rise in the burning time, whereas the burning rate falls. The best in terms of strength, calorific value and combustion parameters are the following briquettes: 70% sunflower husk and 30% coal dust from the Karazhyra deposit; 60% sunflower husk and 40% coal dust from the Shubarkul deposit; briquettes from 70% sunflower husk and 30% coke dust; briquettes from 80% leaves and 20% coal dust from the Karazhyra deposit; and briquettes from 70% leaves and 30% coal dust from the Shubarkul deposit. The selected briquettes are suitable as an alternative source of fuel.

Analysis of River Water Quality Based on Pollution Index Water Quality Status, Lombok District, NTB

Leneng River is one of the rivers in Praya City, Central Lombok Regency, which receives domestic, agricultural, and household industrial waste. Various community activities along the banks of the Leneng River have affected river water quality. Some communities on the banks of the Leneng River, from upstream to downstream, still use river water for their daily needs. This study aims to 1) analyze the water quality of the Leneng River in terms of environmental parameters (Physical, chemical, and biological) and 2) Determine the level of pollution of the Leneng River water using the Pollution Index (IP) method. River water quality measurements were carried out at 3 (three) sample points. Parameters measured and observed were physical parameters, namely Total Solid Suspend (TSS); chemical parameters, namely pH, Total Phosphate (T.PO4), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and biological parameters namely Total coliform and Fecal Coliform. This type of research is survey research with a quantitative descriptive approach. The results showed that the TSS value at sample point 1 (upstream) exceeded the required quality standard; the highest TSS concentration value was 54 mg/L, and the lowest at sample point 2 (middle section) was 2.50 mg/L. Value parameter concentration pH 7.7-8.7, T.PO4 value 0.05 mg/L-0.29 mg/L, BOD value 0.17-0.42 mg/L, COD concentration value 8 mg/L -9mg/L, and DO value of 6.07 mg/L-7.57 mg/L, this shows that the concentration for chemical parameters still meets the class I water quality standards according to PP 22 of 2021, while the total coliform parameter value and Facel coliform have exceeded class I water quality standards. The total coliform concentration value is 10,000 - 20,000 MPN/100 mL, and the Fecal coliform value is 600 MPN/100 mL – 2,500 MPN/100 mL, while based on the Pollution Index (IP) quality status water in the upstream with a value of 2.84, the middle part of 1.97, and the downstream part of 2.84, this shows a decrease in water quality from upstream to downstream of the river, with a level of pollution in the lightly polluted category.

Studies on earthworm population densities in garbage area at urban environment Hyderabad, Telangana State, India

Earthworms are known to produce vermicompost by using any organic waste like agricultural waste, city garbage, industrial waste and sewage waste and helps in reducing noxious gases of a wide variety of organic water, eliminating the bad smell. Soil animals are important component of ecosystem functioning in urban domestic garbage and the earthworms are one of the major groups of these animals in the sewage and garbage. Thus, it is important to know the significance of earthworms and in our study we want to find out the factors that diminish the earthworms’ population in garbage.

Characterization of crude glycerol and glycerol pitch from palm-based residual biomass.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13399-023-04003-4.

Water quality assessment and pollution source apportionment using multivariate statistical techniques: a case study of the Laixi River Basin, China.

Identifying potential sources of pollution in tributaries and determining their contribution rates are critical to the treatment of water pollution in main streams. In this paper, we conducted a multivariate statistical analysis on the water quality data of 12 parameters for 3years (2018-2020) at six sampling sites in the Laixi River to qualitatively identify potential pollution sources and quantitatively calculate the contribution rates to reveal the tributaries' pollution status. Spatio-temporal cluster analysis (CA) divided 12months into two parts, corresponding to the lightly polluted season (LPS) and highly polluted season (HPS), and six sampling sites were divided into two regions, corresponding to the lightly polluted region (LPR) and highly polluted region (HPR). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the potential sources of contamination, identifying four and three potential factors in the LPS and HPS, respectively. The absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor model quantitatively analyzed the contribution rates of identified pollution sources, and the importance of the different pollution sources in LPS can be ranked as domestic sewage and industrial wastewater and breeding pollution (33.80%) > soil weathering (29.02%) > agricultural activities (20.95%) > natural influence (13.03%). HPS can be classified as agricultural cultivation (41.23%), domestic sewage and industrial wastewater and animal waste (33.19%), and natural variations (21.43%). Four potential sources were identified in LPR ranked as rural domestic sewage (31.01%) > agricultural pollution (26.82%) > industrial effluents and free-range livestock and poultry pollution (25.13%) > natural influence (14.82%). Three identified latent pollution sources in HPR were municipal sewage and industrial effluents (37.96%) > agricultural nonpoint sources and livestock and poultry wastewater (33.55%) > natural sources (25.23%). Using multivariate statistical tools to identify and quantify potential pollution sources, managers may be able to enhance water quality in tributary watersheds and develop future management plans.

Impact of rice husk ash and xanthan gum in road works by improving the characteristics of expansive soil (black cotton soil)– an inclusive study

The soils of Indian Black Cotton are well-known examples of Expansive soils, which display significant swelling and shrinkage in response to changes in moisture content. The distressing cyclical swelling and shrinking of soils under moisture fluctuations lead to serious failures. Stabilization of soil can be used to improve it in order to get around this. An agricultural industrial waste called rice husk ash is created when rice husk, a byproduct of paddy milling, is burned. In delta regions, it is widely distributed. It is a pozzolanic material that is widely distributed in India and has potential use in a number of geotechnical areas. In this stabilisation process, black cotton soil is mixed with RHA-lime and various percentages of cementitious material, particularly lime. Tests such as plasticity, compaction, swell, and CBR were also conducted with different water contents of OMCs (such as OMC + 2% water content and OMC + 5% water content). From the test findings, it can be concluded that adding lime reduces flexibility and increases strength. With the addition of RHA and lime, expansive soil gets higher CBR values at varied water contents more than 50% for dosages of 10% lime + 20% RHA and 10% lime + 30% RHA. The expansive soil becomes non-plastic, non-swelling, and has increased strengths, making it suitable for use as a building material for roads.

Assessment of heavy metals and health implications in borehole water of Shao in Moro LGA, Kwara State

Problems of kidney, liver, hypertension and cancer diseases are common this day in some parts of Nigeria among adults which could be due to prolong drinking of water containing high concentrations of heavy metals such as Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, and Manganese. There is a need for creating awareness in the country about the health implications of prolong drinking of water with high concentrations of heavy metals which could cause some severe diseases to man. This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of some selected heavy metals in the borehole water of Shao in Moro Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected in March, 2020 from 6 borehole locations at Shao and physic-chemical properties were analyzed using standard methods. The samples were collected in March during dry season to get the actual contribution of the geological nature of the area for the heavy metals. In March, there is little or no underground water pollution from agricultural wastes, pesticides, industrial wastes and percolation of contaminated runoff. The concentrations of Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Manganese and Zinc in the samples were 0.003-0.016 (Standard Organisation of Nigeria – SON limit: 0.003), 0.012-0.012 (SON: 0.050), 0.005-0.030 (SON: 1.000), 0.058-0.058 (SON: 0.010), 0.002-0.024 (SON: 0.200), 0.013-0.098 mg/L (SON: 3.000mg/L), respectively. Concentrations of Arsenic and Mercury were not detected in all the 6 boreholes. The concentrations of Cadmium which is toxic to kidney were above the permissible limits of SON in 5 boreholes and Lead that could cause cancer and mental disorder among children were above the permissible limits of SON in one borehole. Borehole water with high concentration of heavy metals should be treated before consumption to prevent some deadly diseases that could affect man.

Data-Driven Machine Learning Approach for Predicting the Higher Heating Value of Different Biomass Classes

Higher heating values (HHV) is a very useful parameter for assessing the design and large-scale operation of biomass-driven energy systems. HHV is conventionally measured experimentally with an adiabatic oxygen bomb calorimeter. This procedure is often time-consuming and expensive. Furthermore, limited access to the required facilities is the main bottleneck for researchers. Empirical linear and nonlinear models have initially been proposed to address these concerns. However, most of the models showed discrepancies with experimental results. Data-driven machine learning (ML) methods have also been adopted for HHV predictions due to their suitability for nonlinear problems. However, most ML correlations are based on proximate or ultimate analysis. In addition, the models are only applicable to either the originator biomass or one specific type. To address these shortcomings, a total of 227 biomass datasets based on four classes of biomass, including agricultural residue, industrial waste, energy crop, and woody biomass, were employed to develop and verify three different ML models, namely artificial neural network (ANN), decision tree (DT) and random forest (RF). The model incorporates proximate and ultimate analysis data and biomass as input features. RF model is identified as the most reliable because of its lowest mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.01 and mean squared error (MSE) of 1.87. The study findings can be used to predict HHV accurately without performing experiments.

The Use of Marble Dust, Bagasse Ash, and Paddy Straw to Improve the Water Absorption and Linear Shrinkage of Unfired Soil Block for Structure Applications.

Unfired admixed soil blocks are made up of soil plus stabilizers such as binders, fibers, or a combination of both. Soil is abundant on Earth, and it has been used to provide shelter to millions of people. The manufacturing and usage of cement and cement blocks raise several environmental and economic challenges. Due to disposal issues, agricultural and industrial waste is currently the biggest hazard to the environment and humanity in the world. Consequently, environmental degradation brought on by agricultural waste harms the ecology. As a result, researchers are attempting to develop an alternative to cement blocks, and various tests on unfired admixed soil blocks have been done. This investigation uses agricultural waste (i.e., paddy straw fiber and sugarcane bagasse ash) and industrial waste (i.e., marble dust) in manufacturing unfired admixed soil blocks. Under this investigation, the applicability of unfired soil blocks admixed with marble dust, paddy straw fiber, and bagasse ash was studied. The marble dust level ranged from 25% to 35%, bagasse ash content ranged from 7.5% to 12.5%, and the content of paddy straw fiber ranged from 0.8% to 1.2% by soil dry weight. Various tests were conducted on the 81 mix designs of the prepared unfired admixed soil blocks to find out the physical properties of the block followed by modeling and optimization. The findings demonstrate that the suggested method is a superior alternative to burned bricks for improving the physical properties of admixed soil blocks without firing.

Studies on the Utilization of Marble Dust, Bagasse Ash, and Paddy Straw Wastes to Improve the Mechanical Characteristics of Unfired Soil Blocks

Earthen materials are the world’s oldest and cheapest construction materials. Compacted soil stabilised blocks are unfired admixed soil blocks made up of soil plus stabilisers such as binders, fibres, or a combination of both. The manufacturing and usage of cement and cement blocks raises a number of environmental and economic challenges. As a result, researchers are attempting to develop an alternative to cement blocks, and various tests on unfired admixed soil blocks have been performed. This investigation undertakes use of agricultural waste (i.e., paddy straw fiber and sugarcane bagasse ash) and industrial waste (i.e., marble dust) in manufacturing unfired admixed soil blocks. The applicability of unfired soil blocks admixed with marble dust, paddy straw fiber, and bagasse ash were studied. The marble dust level ranged from 25% to 35%, the bagasse ash content ranged from 7.5% to 12.5%, and the content of paddy straw fibre ranged from 0.8% to 1.2% by soil dry weight. Various tests were conducted on 81 mix designs of the prepared unfired admixed soil blocks to determine the mechanical properties of the blocks, followed by modeling and optimization. The characterization of the materials using XRD and XRF and of the specimens using SEM and EDS were performed for the mineral constituents and microstructural analysis. The findings demonstrate that the suggested method is a superior alternative to burned bricks for improving the mechanical properties of unfired admixed soil blocks.