Rice husk, an agricultural waste from the rice industry, can cause serious environmental pollution if not properly managed. However, rice husk ash (RHA) has been found to have many positive properties, making it a potential replacement for non-renewable peat in soilless planting. Thus, this study investigated the impact of a RHA composite substrate on the growth, photosynthetic parameters, and fruit quality of cucumber (Yuyi longxiang variety) and melon (Yutian yangjiaomi variety). The RHA, peat, vermiculite, and perlite were blended in varying proportions, with the conventional seedling substrate (peat:vermiculite:perlite = 1:1:1 volume ratio) serving as the control (CK). All plants were cultivated in barrels filled with 10L of the mixed substrates. The results from this study found that RHA 40 (RHA:peat:vermiculite:perlite = 4:4:1:1 volume ratio) significantly enhanced substrate ventilation and positively influenced the stem diameter, root activity, seedling index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of cucumber and melon plants. Additionally, plant planted using RHA 40, the individual fruit weight of cucumber and melon found to increase by 34.62% and 21.67%, respectively, as compared to the control. Aside from that, both cucumber and melon fruits had significantly higher sucrose, total soluble sugar, vitamin C, and soluble protein levels. This subsequently improved the activity of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase in both cucumber and melon. In conclusion, the RHA 40 found to best promote cucumber and melon plant growth, increase plant leaf photosynthesis, and improve cucumber and melon fruit quality, making it a suitable substrate formula for cucumber and melon cultivation in place of peat.
The rice fish system represents an innovative and sustainable approach to integrated farming, combining rice cultivation with fish rearing in the same ecosystem. However, one of the major challenges in this system is the pesticidal pollution resulting from various sources, which poses risks to fish health and overall ecosystem balance. In recent years, dietary polyphenols have emerged as promising bioactive compounds with potential chemo-preventive and therapeutic properties. These polyphenols, derived from various plant sources, have shown great potential in reducing the toxicity of pesticides and improving the health of fish within the rice fish system. This review aims to explore the novel aspects of using dietary polyphenols to mitigate pesticidal toxicity and enhance fish health in the rice fish system. It provides comprehensive insights into the mechanisms of action of dietary polyphenols and their beneficial effects on fish health, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties. Furthermore, the review discusses the potential application methods of dietary polyphenols, such as direct supplementation in fish diets or through incorporation into the rice fields. By understanding the interplay between dietary polyphenols and pesticides in the rice fish system, researchers can develop innovative and sustainable strategies to promote fish health, minimize pesticide impacts, and ensure the long-term viability of this integrated farming approach. The information presented in this review will be valuable for scientists, aqua-culturists, and policymakers aiming to implement eco-friendly and health-enhancing practices in the rice fish system.
This study investigates a prospective and straightforward method for producing graphene material derived from biomass, examining the influence of plant cell composition and functions. The experimental outcomes highlight ultrasound's crucial role in synthesizing graphene material sourced from biomass. Ultrasound, a pivotal element in the experiment, significantly affects graphene production from biomass by working synergistically with the liquid components in the solvent system. Notably, the ethanol content reduces the solution's surface tension, facilitating the effective dispersion of biochar and graphene oxide sheets throughout the process. Simultaneously, the water content maintains the solution's polarity, enhancing the cavitation effect induced by ultrasound. Biomass-derived graphene is exfoliated utilizing an ultrasonic bath system (134.4 W, 40 kHz, 0.5 W/cm2) from biochar. The as-synthesized graphene oxide exhibits a structure comprising a few layers while remaining intact, featuring abundant functional groups. Interestingly, the resulting product displays nanopores with an approximate diameter of 100 nm. These nanopores are attributed to preserving specific cell structures, particularly those with specialized cell wall structures or secondary metabolite deposits from biomass resources. The study's findings shed light on the impact of cellular structure on synthesizing graphene material sourced from biomass, emphasizing the potential application of ultrasound as a promising approach in graphene production.
Resource partitioning among tropical bats in agricultural areas of Peninsular Malaysia remains unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate resource partitioning among bats by examining their fecal samples. The main bat species sampled included: Rhinolophus coelophyllus, Rhinolophus malayanus, Rhinolophus pusillus, Rhinolophus refulgens, Taphozous melanopogon and Hipposideros larvatus. Two harp traps were set at different elevations on a hilltop (Gunung Keriang) and two high nets were used in neighboring rice fields at three sites, for three consecutive nights per sampling from April 2021 to February 2022. A total of 301 bats and 1,505 pellets were analyzed using a conventional approach which examined the fecal sample under the microscope. All of the bat species within the study had insects from the order Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera in their diet. Larger bats exhibited a greater variety of prey consumption. Male individuals were observed to be generalists while female individuals were specialists, particularly during pregnancy and lactating reproductive stages. Bat species and insect order had a significant impact on the percentage fragment frequency of the insects consumed. Rhinolophus coelophyllus specialized in feeding on Coleoptera and Diptera, H. larvatus fed on Coleoptera, R. malayanus fed on Hemiptera, R. pusillus and T. melanopogon fed on Lepidoptera. Future molecular analysis can be carried out to further identify the insect pests consumed by these bats up to species level. These findings enhance our understanding of bats' ecological roles in agricultural landscapes and contribute to conservation and pest management strategies.
A major worldwide challenge that presents significant economic, environmental, and social concerns is the rising generation of food waste. The current work used chicken bones (CB) and rice (R) food waste as alternate precursors for the production of activated carbon (CBRAC) by microwave radiation-assisted ZnCl2 activation. The adsorption characteristics of CBRAC were investigated in depth by removing an organic dye (crystal violet, CV) from an aquatic environment. To establish ideal conditions from the significant adsorption factors (A: CBRAC dosage (0.02-0.12 g/100 mL); B: pH (4-10); and C: duration (30-420), a numerical desirability function of Box-Behnken design (BBD) was utilized. The highest CV decolorization by CBRAC was reported to be 90.06% when the following conditions were met: dose = 0.118 g/100 mL, pH = 9.0, and time = 408 min. Adsorption kinetics revealed that the pseudo-first order (PFO) model best matches the data, whereas the Langmuir model was characterized by equilibrium adsorption, where the adsorption capacity of CBRAC for CV dye was calculated to be 57.9 mg/g. CV adsorption is accomplished by several processes, including electrostatic forces, pore diffusion, π-π stacking, and H-bonding. This study demonstrates the use of CB and R as biomass precursors for the efficient creation of CBRAC and their use in wastewater treatment, resulting in a greener environment.
Ginger essential oils (GEO) shows exceptional antimicrobial properties against plant pathogens. Due to its high volatility and low stability, it requires encapsulation to retain its effective properties. The GEO-Chitosan (GEO-CS) nanobactericide was developed using the ionic gelation method. The nanobactericides show particle diameters of 465, 28, 35, 48 and 500 nm when sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) concentrations used in the preparation were 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 %, respectively. The X-ray diffraction and the UV-vis studies revealed that the GEO was encapsulated into the chitosan nanoparticles with an encapsulation efficiency of around 46 % and a loading capacity of 27-34 %. The antibacterial activity of GEO-chitosan nanobactericide against Burkholderia glumae (Bg) was found to be 7.5-11.8 mm, with minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 15.6 μl/mL and 31.25 μl/mL, respectively. Hence, these findings indicate that the prepared GEO-CS nanobactericides were found to be effective against Bg. This preliminary study is toward the development of new agronanobactericides using a natural product to control Bg.
This study evaluated the use of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) as a base monomer to prepare the newly developed flowable composite (FC) using nanohybrid silica derived from rice husk in comparison to bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA) on the degree of conversion and physicomechanical properties. The different loadings of base monomer to diluent monomer were used at the ratio of 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40. The bonding analysis confirmed the presence of nanohybrid silica in the newly developed FC. Independent t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in the degree of conversion, depth of cure and Vickers hardness of the UDMA-based FC, while surface roughness showed comparable results between the two base monomers. In conclusion, UDMA-based FC demonstrated superior performance with 60%-65% conversions, a significantly higher depth of cure exceeding 1 mm which complies with the Internal Standard of Organization 4049 (ISO 4049), and a substantial increase in Vickers hardness numbers compared to Bis-GMA-based FC, making UDMA a suitable alternative to Bis-GMA as a base monomer in the formulation of this newly developed FC derived from rice husk.
"Fried rice syndrome" originated from the first exposure to a fried rice dish contaminated with Bacillus cereus. This review compiles available data on the prevalence of B. cereus outbreak cases that occurred between 1984 and 2019. The outcome of B. cereus illness varies dramatically depending on the pathogenic strain encounter and the host's immune system. B. cereus causes a self-limiting, diarrheal illness caused by heat-resistant enterotoxin proteins, and an emetic illness caused by the deadly toxin named cereulide. The toxins together with their extrinsic factors are discussed. The possibility of more contamination of B. cereus in protein-rich food has also been shown. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the available data, focusing mainly on B. cereus physiology as the causative agent for "fried rice syndrome." This review emphasizes the prevalence of B. cereus in starchy food contamination and outbreak cases reported, the virulence of both enterotoxins and emetic toxins produced, and the possibility of contaminated in protein-rich food. The impact of emetic or enterotoxin-producing B. cereus on public health cannot be neglected. Thus, it is essential to constantly monitor for B. cereus contamination during food handling and hygiene practices for food product preparation.
The usage of waste for the development of sustainable building materials has received an increasing attention in socio-eco-environment spheres. The rice husk ash (RHA) produced during burning of rice husk and the ever-increasing plastic wastes are useless causing detrimental effects on the environment. This research supports the idea of sustainability and circular economy via utilization of waste to produce value-added products. This research explores the potential of waste plastics, RHA, and silica sand as thermoplastic composite materials. The different composite samples were prepared through waste plastics which includes low- and high-density polyethylene and polypropylene with incorporation of RHA and silica sand in proportions. The study investigates the effect of filler/polymer in 30/70, 20/80, and 10/90 (wt. %) on the workability of the developed composite materials. The workability of the composites was found to improve with filler reinforcement. The experimental results showed the maximum density of 1.676 g/cm3 and mechanical strength of 26.39, 4.89, and 3.25 MPa as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths, respectively. The minimum percentage of water absorption was 0.052%. The wear tests resulted in a minimum abrasive and sliding wear rate of 0.03759 (cm3) and 0.00692 × 10-6 kg/m. The correlations between wear mechanisms and responses were morphologically analyzed. The developed composites verify the feasibility of RHA and plastics waste as a cost effective and environmentally competent product. The results and discussions provided a direction for the future research on sustainable polymeric composite materials.
The effect of urea-loaded cellulose hydrogel, a controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) on growth and yield of upland rice were investigated in upland rice. As with the initial research, nitrogen (N) treatments were applied as CRF treatments; T2H (30 kg N ha-1), T3H (60 kg N ha-1), T4H (90 kg N ha-1), T5H (120 kg N ha-1) and recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) at 120 kg N ha-1 RDF (T6U) in split application and T1 (0 N) as control. Results from this study indicated that applying CRF at the optimum N rate, T4H resulted in maximum grain yield, increasing by 71%. The analysis of yield components revealed that higher grain yield in T4H CRF was associated with an increase in panicle number and number of grains per panicle. Maximum grain N uptake of 0.25 g kg-1 was also observed in T4H CRF. In addition, T4H CRF recorded the highest harvest index (HI) and N harvest index (NHI) of 45.5% and 67.9%, respectively. Application of T4H CRF also recorded the highest N use efficiency (NUE) and N agronomic efficiency (NAE), 52.6% and 12.8 kg kg-1, respectively. Observations show that CRF with only 75% N applied (T4H) in soil improved grain yield when compared to CRF with 100% N and 100% RDF in farmers' conventional split application. This suggested that CRF with a moderate N application might produce the highest potential yield and improved N efficiencies while enhancing crop production and further increase in N supply did not increase yield and N efficiencies. The results suggest that the application of T4H CRF for upland rice would enhance HI, N efficiencies and improve the yield of upland rice. Also, all growth parameters and yield were positively influenced by the application of CRF as a basal dose compared to split application of conventional urea fertilizers.
In this study, UVA- and UVB-irradiated human fibroblasts were used to investigate the anti-photoaging efficacy of two aqueous extracts from Aspergillus oryzae-fermented broken rice (FBR) and brewers' rice (FBrR). As UVA and UVB can damage the dermal and epidermal layers, respectively, two UV radiation approaches were utilised: i) direct UVA irradiation on fibroblasts, and ii) UVB-irradiated keratinocytes indirectly co-cultured with fibroblasts to observe their epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during UVB-induced photoaging. The anti-photoaging properties were tested utilising biochemical tests and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The treatment of UV-irradiated human fibroblasts with FBR and FBrR dramatically downregulates MMP-1 and SFE gene expression. Nonetheless, MMP-1 secretion was inhibited by FBR and FBrR, with more substantial decreases in UVB-treated co-cultures, ranging from 0.76- to 1.89-fold relative to the untreated control. In UVA-treated fibroblasts, however, the elastase-inhibiting activity of FBR and FBrR is up to 1.63-fold and 2.13-fold more potent, respectively. In addition, post-UV irradiation treatment with FBR and FBrR was able to repair and enhance collagen formation in UVA-irradiated fibroblasts. Both FBR and FBrR were able to upregulate elastin gene expression in fibroblasts under both culture conditions, especially at 50 µg/mL. The pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-, IL-1ß, and IL-6 were likewise lowered by FBR and FBrR, which may have contributed to the anti-photoaging effect of the UVB-treated co-culture. These results reveal that FBR and FBrR inhibit photoaging in human fibroblasts under both UV induction conditions. In conclusion, FBR and FBrR may be attractive bio-ingredients for usage in the cosmetic sector as cosmeceuticals.
Herein, biochar was prepared using rice straw, and it served as the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator to degrade naphthalene (NAP). The results showed that pyrolysis temperature has played an important role in regulating biochar structure and properties. The biochar prepared at 900°C (BC900) had the best activation capacity and could remove NAP in a wide range of initial pH (5-11). In the system of BC900/PMS, multi-reactive species were produced, in which 1O2 and electron transfer mainly contributed to NAP degradation. In addition, the interference of complex groundwater components on the NAP removal rate must get attention. Cl- had a significant promotional effect but risked the formation of chlorinated disinfection by-products. HCO3-, CO32-, and humic acid (HA) had an inhibitory effect; surfactants had compatibility problems with the BC900/PMS system, which could lead to unproductive consumption of PMS. Significantly, the BC900/PMS system showed satisfactory remediation performance in spiked natural groundwater and soil, and it could solve the problem of persistent groundwater contamination caused by NAP desorption from the soil. Besides, the degradation pathway of NAP was proposed, and the BC900/PMS system could degrade NAP into low or nontoxic products. These suggest that the BC900/PMS system has promising applications in in-situ groundwater remediation.
The increase in rice consumption and demand for high-quality rice is impacted by the growth of socioeconomic status in developing countries and consumer awareness of the health benefits of rice consumption. The latter aspects drive the need for rapid, low-cost, and reliable quality assessment methods to produce high-quality rice according to consumer preference. This is important to ensure the sustainability of the rice value chain and, therefore, accelerate the rice industry toward digital agriculture. This review article focuses on the measurements of the physicochemical and sensory quality of rice, including new and emerging technology advances, particularly in the development of low-cost, non-destructive, and rapid digital sensing techniques to assess rice quality traits and consumer perceptions. In addition, the prospects for potential applications of emerging technologies (i.e., sensors, computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence) to assess rice quality and consumer preferences are discussed. The integration of these technologies shows promising potential in the forthcoming to be adopted by the rice industry to assess rice quality traits and consumer preferences at a lower cost, shorter time, and more objectively compared to the traditional approaches.
Environmental impact assessment of glucose production from paddy milling waste, known as empty and partially filled paddy grain (EPFG) in Malaysia, was performed using life cycle assessment (LCA). Three scenarios were conducted based on system expansion of the process. The LCA was conducted using ReCiPe methodology at midpoint and endpoint levels. The results indicate that enzymatic hydrolysis phase is the hotspot in the conversion system due to enzyme production. In addition, the agriculture phase also contributed to negative impacts, especially towards climate change. An improved environmental load was observed in scenario 2 when all EPFG fractionation was utilised to replace fossil-based electricity. Sensitivity analysis showed an increase in glucose yield leads to reduced environmental impact. Thus, the LCA study suggests that the conversion process of EPFG could further benefit and improve the paddy industry waste management with low impact contribution to the environment compared to other feedstock used for glucose production.
The 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) adsorption from aqueous solution was examined using a novel adsorbent made from rice husk powder coated with CuO nanoparticles (CRH). Advanced analyses of FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDSwere used to identify the classification parameters of a CRH-like surface morphology, configuration, and functional groups. The rice husk was coated with CuO nanoparticles, allowing it to create large surface area materials with significantly improved textural qualities with regard to functional use and adsorption performance, according to a detailed characterization of the synthesized materials. The adsorption process was applied successfully with elimination effectiveness of 100% which can be kept up to 61.3%. The parameters of adsorption were affecting the adsorption process significantly. Thermodynamic data stated that the process of adsorption was endothermic, spontaneous, chemisorption and the molecules of EE2 show affinity with the CRH. It was discovered that the adsorption process controlled by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model demonstrates that the chemisorption process was controlling EE2 removal. The Sips model is regarded as optimal for representing this practice, exhibiting a significantly high determination coefficient of 0.948. This coefficient implies that the adsorption mechanism indicates the occurrence of both heterogeneous and homogeneous adsorption. According to the findings, biomass can serve as a cheap, operative sorbent to remove estrogen from liquified solutions.
Rice is a predominant staple food in many countries. It is a great source of energy but can also accumulate toxic and trace metal(loid)s from the environment and pose serious health hazards to consumers if overdosed. This study aims to determine the concentration of toxic metal(loid)s [arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni)] and essential metal(loid)s [iron (Fe), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co)] in various types of commercially available rice (basmati, glutinous, brown, local whites, and fragrant rice) in Malaysia, and to assess the potential human health risk. Rice samples were digested following the USEPA 3050B acid digestion method and the concentrations of metal(loid)s were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mean concentrations (mg/kg as dry weight) of metal(loid)s (n=45) across all rice types were found in the order of Fe (41.37)>Cu (6.51)>Cr (1.91)>Ni (0.38)>As (0.35)>Se (0.07)>Cd (0.03)>Co (0.02). Thirty-three percent and none of the rice samples surpassed, respectively, the FAO/WHO recommended limits of As and Cd. This study revealed that rice could be a primary exposure pathway to toxic metal(loid)s, leading to either noncarcinogenic or carcinogenic health problems. The non-carcinogenic health risk was mainly associated with As which contributed 63% to the hazard index followed by Cr (34%), Cd (2%), and Ni (1%). The carcinogenic risk to adults was high (>10-4) for As, Cr, Cd, and Ni. The cancer risk (CR) for each element was 5 to 8 times higher than the upper limit of cancer risk for an environmental carcinogen (<10-4). The findings from this study could provide the metal(loid)s pollution status of various types of rice which are beneficial to relevant authorities in addressing food safety and security-related issues.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a principal food for more than half of the world's people. Rice is predominantly consumed as white rice, a refined grain that is produced during the rice milling process which removes the bran and germ and leaves the starchy endosperm. Rice bran is a by-product produced from the rice milling process, which contains many bioactive compounds, for instance, phenolic compounds, tocotrienols, tocopherols, and γ-oryzanol. These bioactive compounds are thought to protect against cancer, vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Extraction of rice bran oil also generates various by-products including rice bran wax, defatted rice bran, filtered cake, and rice acid oil, and some of them exert bioactive substances that could be utilized as functional food ingredients. However, rice bran is often utilized as animal feed or discarded as waste. Therefore, this review aimed to discuss the role of rice bran in metabolic ailments. The bioactive constituents and food product application of rice bran were also highlighted in this study. Collectively, a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism and the role of these bioactive compounds exerted in the rice bran would provide a useful approach for the food industry and prevent metabolic ailments.
Nitrogen-rich materials such as poultry litter (PL) contributes to substantial N and C loss in the form of ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) during composting. Biochar can act as a sorbent of ammonia (NH3) and CO2 emission released during co-composting. Thus, co-composting poultry litter with rice husk biochar as a bulking agent is a good technique to mitigate NH3 volatilization and CO2 emission. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of composting the mixtures of poultry litter with rice husk biochar at different ratios on NH3 and CO2 emissions. Four mixtures of poultry litter and rice husk biochar at different rate were composted at 0:1, 0.5:1, 1.3:1 and 2.3:1 ratio of rice husk biochar (RHB): poultry litter (PL) on a dry weight basis to achieve a suitable C/N ratio of 15, 20, 25, and 30, respectively. The results show that composting poultry litter with rice husk biochar can accelerate the breakdown of organic matter, thereby shortening the thermophilic phase compared to composting using poultry litter alone. There was a significant reduction in the cumulative NH3 emissions, which accounted for 78.38%, 94.60%, and 97.30%, for each C/N ratio of 20, 25, and 30. The total nitrogen (TN) retained relative was 75.96%, 85.61%, 90.24%, and 87.89% for each C/N ratio of 15, 20, 25, and 30 at the completion of composting. Total carbon dioxide lost was 5.64%, 6.62%, 8.91%, and 14.54%, for each C/N ratio of 15, 20, 21, and 30. In addition, the total carbon (TC) retained were 66.60%, 72.56%, 77.39%, and 85.29% for 15, 20, 25, and 30 C/N ratios and shows significant difference as compared with the initial reading of TC of the compost mixtures. In conclusion, mixing and composting rice husk biochar in poultry litter with C/N ratio of 25 helps in reducing the NH3 volatilization and CO2 emissions, while reducing the overall operational costs of waste disposal by shortening the composting time alongside nitrogen conservation and carbon sequestration. In formulating the compost mixture with rice husk biochar, the contribution of C and N from the biochar can be neglected in the determination of C/N ratio to predict the rate of mineralization in the compost because biochar has characteristic of being quite inert and recalcitrant in nature.
Paddy is an important crop in Malaysia. There are various pathogens able to infect paddy causing a loss in yield's production. In this study, dual culture method, volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis, and non-volatile compound analysis were used to assess the ability of mushroom to control fungal rice pathogens including Curvularia lunata, Bipolaris panici-miliacei, and Nigrospora sp. Four mushroom isolates were further analysed for their antagonistic activity against rice pathogen. The highest percentage inhibition of radial growth (PIRG) was recorded between 45.55 and 73.68% observed in isolate 42b. The 4 isolates with the highest PIRG based on the dual culture analysis were then tested for their production of VOCs and non-volatile compound. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region analysis of the 4 mushroom isolates revealed their identity as Coprinellus disseminates (isolate 12b), Marasmiellus palmivorus (isolate 42b), Trametes maxima (isolate 56e), and Lentinus sajor-caju (isolate 60a). This study showed that mushroom isolates have the potential of antagonistic effect on various fungal rice pathogens tested by the production of secondary metabolites and mycoparasitic interaction.
This study demonstrated the generation of clean water from seawater collected at the beach coast in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia, with carbonized rice husk coated melamine sponge as solar absorber by a solar still. Melamine sponge was utilized as a seawater transportation medium since its porous structure is excellent in channelling the seawater. Whereas carbonized rice husk was used as the photothermal conversion material for its efficient heat absorption due to its black colour and porous structure. Implementing air gap between the seawater body and solar absorber, and restricted water pathway assisted in localizing heat on the top surface of the solar absorber. Clean water was generated under direct solar radiation during the day at an open space with average solar intensity around 1.1∼1.2 kW/m2 (slightly higher than 1 sun) for about 4 h. Efficiency of the solar absorber was calculated, while the quality of the generated clean water was observed in terms of salinity and pH value. Insulated solar still with carbon-coated sponge showed the highest efficiency at about 54.74%. Salinity of the collected clean water significantly reduced to consumable level which was approximately 55 ppm, and the pH value at about 6.73 where it was within the safe limit of the drinkable water pH.