Egyptian researcher saves ancient sites from termites
An Egyptian researcher has patented an organic substance to kill termites; a Japanese company funded her research and manufactured the product.
Egyptian researcher Nada Zien Eldin has patented an organic substance to kill termites, which have been causing damage at archaeological sites.
The story begins in 2019, when Zien Eldin visited the 12th-century Islamic city of el-Qasr in Dakhla Oasis in New Valley in the southwestern part of Egypt. She found that a lot of the wood in homes and buildings there was damaged. When she asked the tour guide what had caused this problem, he told her termites. His answer was a turning point in Zien Eldin's life.
The visit was part of her initiative on Facebook, “Let’s Explore Egypt,” which she founded in 2014 to tell Egyptians and foreigners alike about hidden touristic spots in the country.
“In summer 2019, when I was organizing a trip to El Qasr Islamic city, I found the wood was damaged everywhere. ... Some wooden pieces turned to powder on the ground. I asked the tour guide, who was busy telling us about the area’s history, about the reason for this damage. He said, 'Oh, all that happened because of termites,'” she told Al-Monitor in an interview.
