Latest news with #fumigation
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Earliest use of harmal plant discovered in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk
RIYADH: A study published in the journal Communications Biology has revealed the earliest known use of the harmal plant (peganum harmala) — dating back about 2,700 years to the Iron Age — is based on findings from the ancient settlement of Qurayyah in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk region, according to the Saudi Heritage Commission. The research was conducted jointly by the Saudi Heritage Commission, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, and the University of Vienna in Austria. It examined the therapeutic and social aspects of ancient practices in the Arabian Peninsula. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, researchers analyzed organic residues inside pottery incense burners and detected alkaloids from the harmal plant, providing evidence of its use in fumigation rituals for therapeutic purposes. The harmal plant, known locally as rue, is recognized for its antibacterial and healing properties. Its use at Qurayyah suggests early medicinal knowledge and traditional practices in the region. This discovery highlights the cultural and therapeutic traditions of the Arabian Peninsula and helps to support the commission's collaboration with international researchers. The study aligns with the Saudi Ministry of Culture's efforts to promote research that advances the understanding of history and the cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
SLO County home was being fumigated. That's when burglars struck
At least $6,000 worth of items were stolen from an Arroyo Grande home while it was being fumigated, and while one arrest has been made, other suspects may still be at large. On March 28, it was reported that multiple items including several firearms, jewelry and cash were stolen from a home in the 1300 block of Sierra Drive in Arroyo Grande while the home was unoccupied and tented for fumigation, Arroyo Grande Police Officer Dave Culver told The Tribune on Friday. According to a Facebook post by a neighbor in the Arroyo Grande Current Affairs group, 'part of a respirator' was found in the back yard, indicating the burglars had 'carefully prepared to enter the toxic environment' of the fumigated home. Officers were able to determine through surveillance footage that a burglary occurred on March 28 in the early morning hours, Culver said. Later, while conducting a traffic stop on on April 9, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office contacted two individuals in possession of two of the stolen firearms, Culver said. One of the individuals, a prior felon from Oceano, was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property but could not yet be tied to the burglary, Culver said. The man was also in violation of possessing ammunition and additional drug charges, Culver said. The Arroyo Grande Police Department learned of the arrest from the Sheriff's Office on April 10, Culver said. While the man has not yet been charged in relation to the burglary, the Police Department's investigative unit was then able to obtain a search warrant for his vehicle and phone, which they are currently examining as a part of their ongoing investigation, he said. So far, the vehicle has been searched and the cell phone is awaiting a forensic search, Culver said. 'We are investigating to see if that individual was the person who committed the burglary in our city, or if they are somehow connected to the individuals that committed the burglary in our city,' Culver said. 'We are still investigating to determine our suspects in the burglary case. The individual that's been arrested was arrested because he was found to be in possession of stolen firearms.' Culver noted there are still potentially additional suspects and encouraged anyone with information to come forward. 'As far as it is still an active and ongoing investigation, and as always, we would encourage anyone with any information (to) please contact the Police Department detective unit, and we will be following up on any leads that come in,' Culver said. 'We're investigating all individuals who we think might be associated with this.' Anyone with information can contact the Arroyo Grande Police Department at 805-473-5110.
