Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Scallop (Pepti ) is a type of shellfish that has a flat, round shell with two parts and

that is often eaten as food. Although in other countries, some parts of Scallop shells are

used as food additives and in plastering and paving materias, most of the good quality

shells are used as decorative materials in our country. The unwanted shells of Scallop are

discarded and considered as waste. In this manner, the researcher would like to conduct

research into further applications of Scallop shells.

Since Calasiao is in Central Pangasinan which is located in flood prone area

because it serves as catch basin for flood coming from the mountains and rives in the

province. Most of the people in the community use water from the shallow well or locally

named as "poso." During rainy season, most shallow wells are flooded and prone to water

contamination .Thus, making the water not safe for human use.

Previous studies showed that the main component of Scallop shells is Calcium

carbonate (CaCO3). When heated, it is converted to Calcium Oxide (CaO) and has

antibacterial property. With this information, the researcher would like to study the use of

heated powdered scallop shells as water purifier for the water drawn fom the flooded

shallow wells in Calasiao, Pangasinan.

By pounding the shell until it become powder and toss in the pan over medium

fire to produce its antibacterial property, then mix with the contaminated water for
purification. The researcher would like to find if this kind of purifier can be applied to

contaminated water from affected shallow wells.

This will not only improve the waste management system of the community but it

will purify contaminated water without spending much because the main material to be

used is discarded scallop shells.

Statement of the Problem

This study is designed to prove the effect of heated Scallop shell powder as water

purifier of contaminated water from flooded shallow wells in Calasiao, Pangasinan. It

sought to answer the following questions:

1. Will the heated scallop shell powder has a significant effect on the

contaminated water?

2. Evaluate heated Scallop shells as water purifier in terms of:

a..) Bactericidal effect

b.) Water quality

Hypotheses

1. The heated Scallop Shells powder will not have a significant effect on the

contaminated water based on its anti-bacterial property.

2. There is no significant difference between bactericidal effect of heated Scallop shell

with T1(200ml),T2(500ml) and T3(1000ml) in terms of concentration in the water?

Significance of the Study

This study will be significant because the product to be used as water purifier of

contaminated water from shallow wells is inexpensive. It will help promote recycling as a

form of solid waste management and environmentally sustainable water purifier. People

of Calasiao will benefit from the study because problems on unsafe water will be solved,

it is likewise a good case of being resourceful and being able to use waste materials can

be beneficial. The procedure is not difficult to handle, too.

Scope and Delimitation

The researcher will only focus on the effectiveness of heated Scallop shells as

water purifier. This study will use contaminated water from the affected shallow

wells(poso) as the test subject. The materials to be used are discarded scallop shells

which are accessible in seafood restaurants and market. It will be powdered using mortar

and pestle. The powdered shells will be tossed in the pan over medium fire. This study

will be conducted at Calasiao Comprehensive shells National High School JICA

Laboratory in the months of July - September 2019 or when there is flood.

Definition of Terms

To further understand this study, the following terms are defined:

Antibacterial activity. Anything that destroys bacteria or suppresses their growth

or their ability to reproduce (William C., 2019). By heat treatment, CaCO3 as main

component of scallop shells is converted to CaO which exhibited antibacterial activity or

inhibit bacterial growth.

Bactericidal. It means that the agent prevents the growth of bacteria means that it

kills bacteria (Definition of BACTERICIDAL, 2019). This will destroy bacteria present

in the contaminated water.

Calcium Oxide. Calciun oxide is converted from heated Calciun Carbonate that

has antibacterial property (En.wikipedia.org, 2019).

Contaminated water. It is a dirty or impure water due to the presence of harmful

or undesirable substances. It is the undesirable state of natural environment being

contaminated with harmful substances as a consequences of human activity

(TheFreeDictionary.com, 2019). This will be used as test subject.

Purifier. It is a device or a substance that is used to purify something such as

water, air or blood. It removes dirt or harmful substances from contaminated water by

mixing the main component (Google Search, 2019). This is what the researcher aims to

produce.
 Scallop Shell powder. It is scallop shells that are pounded and broke into very

small pieces using mortar and pestle, until they become powdery (M.Dictionary, 2019).

This will be used as the main component of the study.

Shallow well. It is a source of water from a depthless pit or hole sunk in the

ground where water can be contaminated due to flooding (King County, 2019).
Bactericidal Effect of Heated Scallop Shell Powder as Water Purifier from Shallow Wells
in Calasiao, Pangasinan

Proponent: Reila Aliya R. Coson