Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) and Citrus Limon Osbeck (Lemon) Peels as an

Efficient Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metals from Water

A Research Paper
Presented to the Faculty of
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Far Eastern University High School Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the course:
Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion

By
Bulusan, Anie Frijd V.
Cabataña, Benette Bianca
Delos Reyes, Patricia
Evangelista, Danna Theresa
Latonio, Jbriel Nicole
Pamatian, Kim
Valencia, Angela Mae
Verceluz, Elaine

Sir John Carlo Macuja

Research Adviser

February 2020

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 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Background of the Study

The Manila Bay is a popular body of water in the Philippines owing to its scenic view and

industrial function. It is considered as the main harbor that serves as international port of entry in

Metro Manila. The bay is characterized by abundant natural resources being the primary source of

livelihood for people in the areas surrounding the bay though it suffered from serious water quality

deterioration due to the rapid increase in population and industrialization (Chang, 2009). A large

increase in organic loads entering Manila Bay is due to excessive urban emissions of nutrients and

heavy metals (Reichardt, 2006; Urase, 2006). In recent years, human activities contribute

significantly to the release of heavy metals in Manila Bay which continuously poses an alarming

concern for the future.

Heavy metals are discharged into water from various industries. They can be toxic or

carcinogenic in nature and can cause severe problems for humans and aquatic ecosystems. Thus,

the removal of heavy metals from wastewater is a serious problem. The adsorption process is

widely used for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater because of its low cost, availability

and eco-friendly nature. Both commercial adsorbents and bio-adsorbents are used for the removal

of heavy metals from wastewater, with high removal capacity. (Agarwal, M., & Singh, K., 2016)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is also known as langka in the Philippines. Jackfruit is rich

in nutrients including carbohydrates such as cellulose, wherein cellulose is used for water

treatment. (Ranasinghe, R. A. S. N., 2019). Lemon (Citrus Limon osbeck) Peels were also

discovered to have lower level of ph, which is acidic that can remove heavy metals. (Arslanoglu, H.,

2009)

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 Agricultural waste has been investigated as an efficient adsorbent for heavy metal removal

because of their low cost. The functional groups present in agricultural wastes such as carboxylic,

amido, and amino group etc. have an affinity for heavy metal ions to form metal complexes. The

removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater using agricultural waste is based upon metal

biosorption. The mechanism of biosorption includes chemisorption, complexation, adsorption on

the surface, diffusion through pores and ion exchange etc. (Renu et al., 2017). Therefore,

agricultural waste such as Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon

Osbeck) peel can be used as an adsorbent since their properties are suitable to use on removal of

heavy metals.

This study is an experimental research about the combination of Jackfruit (Artocarpus

heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon Osbeck) peel as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals

from water in Manila Bay. The study shall determine which ratio of the combination of Jackfruit

(Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon Osbeck) peel is more effective with regards

to removal of heavy metals. The reason behind this study is to provide an accessible, sustainable

and inexpensive way to remove heavy metals, the three variables will be observed respectively and

the data that will be gathered will differentiate the ratio of the two independent variables.

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Significance of the Study

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the combination of Jackfruit (Artocarpus

heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon Osbeck) peel as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals

from water in Manila Bay. Its significance can be applicable to the following:

Environment – The environment will benefit from the removal of heavy metals from seawater by

using the result of filtering the seawater in Jackfruit peel and Lemon peel. The plants and trees will

benefit the filtered water because it doesn’t contain heavy metals that can destroy plants and trees.

Seawater – The fishes and other marine animals will benefit from the result of using Jackfruit

(Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus Limon Obseck) as an effective heavy metal

remover because heavy metals can cause bad effect on the living organism’s health.

Community - The community will benefit from the results and the information in this study. The

data gathered about the combination of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus

limon Osbeck) solutions, pure solution of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and pure solution

of Lemon (Citrus limon Osbeck) peel as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals will provide an

alternative way for the people who are involved in the water source dilemma in the environment.

Future researchers - The ideas presented in this study may be used as reference data for future

researchers in conducting new researches or in testing the validity of other related findings. This

study will also serve as a cross-reference, giving researchers a background or an overview of the

study.

4
Conceptual Framework

Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) and Citrus Limon

osbeck (Lemon) Peels as an Efficient Adsorbent for
Removal of Heavy Metals from Water of Manila Bay

Input Process Output

Collection and
Preparation of Jackfruit, Water
Lemon Peels and Water Water Treatment
Analysis
Sample

Figure1. Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit) and Citrus Limon osbeck (Lemon) Peels as an

Efficient Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metals from Water of Manila Bay

Based on the illustration above, the researchers will collect the peels from the market and

water sample will be collect from Manila Bay. The materials that will be collected will be prepared

to undergo the process of biosorption. After the water treatment, the water will be analyse through

the Water Lab Center.

5
Statement of the Problem

The main problem of this study is to assess the effectiveness of combined Jackfruit (Artocarpus

heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon osbeck) peel as an efficient adsorbent for removing

heavy metals found in water from Manila Bay. Specifically, this study sought answers to the

following questions:

1. What is the initial concentration of Lead (Pb) / Copper (Cu) in the water sample?

2. What is the amount of Lead (Pb) / Copper (Cu) reduce by using the fruit peels?

3. Is the fruit peels effective on removing the concentration of heavy metals in the water?

4. Definition of Terms

The following terms that were used in the study:

Heavy Metals- Natural elements characterized by their rather high atomic mass and their high

density.

Jackfruit and Lemon Peels- A part of a fruit that will be used to remove heavy metals in water.

Seawater- Specifically, water from Manila Bay will be the sample that the researchers will test in

this study.

6
Scope and Delimitation

This study will only cover and focus on the effectiveness regarding on the ratio of the

combination of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) peel and Lemon (Citrus limon osbeck) peel for

removal of heavy metal in water from Manila Bay.

Furthermore, the water that will be gathered at Manila bay will be tested in a water testing

laboratory station to know which heavy metal is present in the Manila bay. Other needed materials

for the removal of the heavy metals are lemon peels, and jackfruit peels. Other heavy metals found

in an aqueous solution aside from Lead (Pb)/ Copper (Cu) will not be cover in this study. Other

settings of the study will be further decided throughout the study depending on the availability of

the testing procedure that will be utilized by the researchers. The study will only focus on the

efficiency of the adsorbent. The study will be conducted within the time frame of 2 weeks.

7
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies that were gathered by the researchers after

the finished in-depth research.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Peel as an Adsorbent

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is also known as langka in the philippines jackfruit is a

tropical climacteric fruit, belonging to Moraceae family, is native to Western Ghats of India and

common in Asia, Africa, and some regions in South America. It is known to be the largest edible fruit

in the world. Jackfruit is rich in nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and

phytochemicals. Both the seeds and the flesh of jackfruit are consumed as curries and boiled forms,

while the flesh in fully ripen stage can be eaten directly as a fruit. (Ranasinghe,R. A. S. N.,

Maduwanthi, S. D. T., and R. A. U. J. Marapana, 2019)

Based on the study of Karthik, V V S S. (2016), jackfruit peel was formed into a powdered

activated carbon. Activated carbon undergo in chemical activation using jackfruit as the raw

material and continue the process using varying activating agents such as Potassium Hydroxide,

Zinc Chloride, Phosphoric Acid, and the analysis of the activated carbon is a suitable adsorbent.

According to Rosli N., Zawawi M.,Bustami R., et al. (2015), the efficiency of jackfruit as activated

carbon has been compared to the commercial activated carbon in term of adsorption of heavy

metals in the wastewater. In this study it shows that the commercial activated carbon has better

result than the jackfruit. But nonetheless, jackfruit is still acceptable in removing heavy metals in

waste water.

8
 As mentioned by K.Y.Foo.,B.H.Hameed. (2012), the ability of the jackfruit as an activated carbon

in adsorption of methylene blue. Actvated carbon from Jackfruit peels were examined by pore

structural analysis, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,

nitrogen adsorption isotherm, elemental analysis, surface acidity/basicity and zeta potential

measurements. The adsorptive behavior of jackfruit peel was tested using the methylene blue as

model dye compound. Overall the result of the jackfruit peel is good precursor of high quality

activated carbon.

Lemon (Citrus Limon osbeck) Peel as an adsorbent

As mentioned by Schiewer S., Balaria A., (2009), different citrus peels are known to be able to

extract heavy metals from waste waters. Factors that might affect a fruit peel’s effectiveness include

pH level and ionic strength. Low pH, increased ionic strength, or competing co-ions reduced Pb2+

binding at low sorbent dosages, but at high sorbent dosages removal remained above 90%. The

Pb2+ uptake at 300 ppm was 2 mmol/g (40% of the dry weight). Due to high uptake, favorable

kinetics and good stability, citrus peel biosorbents hold high promise for industrial applications.

Water pollution is a big problem nowadays, with different kinds of harmful metals present in the

water. One of the solution people used to remove heavy metals on water are biosorbent material

like lemon peel. The maximum adsorption capacity of lemon peel adsorbent for cobalt removal was

ca. 22 mg g−1. It was found that the present system of cobalt adsorption on lemon peel adsorbent

could be described more favorably by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results of the

present study suggest that lemon peel waste can be used beneficially in treating industrial effluents

containing heavy metal ions. Lemon peels have been proven to be effective in removing heavy

metals in water. Lemon peels that were treated with sodium hydroxide were also effective in

removing heavy metals present in water. Maximum adsorption was observed at pH 6. The

9
equilibrium adsorption on raw and NaOH-treated lemon peels was achieved in 150 and 210 min,

the maximum adsorption capacity being 20.83 and 35.71 mg/g, respectively. Energy-dispersive X-

ray spectroscopy and desorption study confirmed that the mechanism of adsorption is ion

exchange. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudosecond-order kinetic model gave the best fit for the

adsorption of Co(II). Thus, NaOH-treated lemon peels have shown the potential as a good

biosorbent for treating industrial wastewater at low cobalt concentration. (Singh S. A., Shukla S. R.,

2015; Bhatnagara A., Minochaa A.K., Sillanpä M., 2009)

Based on the study of Thirumavalavan M., Lai Y. L., Lee J. F., (2011), for orange peel (OP),

lemon peel (LP), and banana peel (BP) as adsorbents for removal of heavy metal ions such as Cu2+,

Ni2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ from aqueous solution, a simple FT-IR technique was used and

discussed to study the variation in functional groups upon modification. Metal−carbon bond

formation was witnessed by FT-IR during metal ion adsorption. All of these adsorbents were

characterized by FT-IR, BET, and SEM. The presence of carboxylic and hydroxyl groups was

confirmed by FT-IR. The FT-IR spectrum of lemon peel cellulose (LPC) showed well resolved peaks

for carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups compared to LP indicating the appreciable contents of

carboxylic acid and hydroxyl groups in LPC. The widely used Langmuir adsorption isotherms were

used to describe the adsorption equilibrium process. The adsorption capacity of the metal ions such

as Cu2+ and Ni2+ was found to be more than those of other metal ions. Upon comparison of the

adsorbents, surface modified LPC (LPCACS) was found to show enhanced adsorption activity. A

comparative study of adsorption was carried out with commercially available activated carbon (AC)

also from which it was inferred that the order of the adsorption capacity is as follows: LPCACS >

LPC > AC > LP > OP > BP.

10
 Heavy metals that are commonly found in polluted waters include lead and copper. It was found

that for Pb and Cu removal, lemon and orange cortex showed better biosorption capability when

compared with banana cortex (up to 15% less for Pb and 48% less for Cu). Furthermore, lemon

peels had higher capability than orange peels and the form of peel powder of both orange and

lemon showed higher capacity than fresh and dried pieces where lemon powder has shown

biosorption capacity of 72.5% and 71.3% for lead and copper respectively while orange powder

had bioremoval percentage of 56.7% of lead and 34.5% for copper. In case of fresh lemon peels,

these figures were 70.9% for lead and 62.2% for copper but fresh orange peels gave much less

percentage (48.7of lead and 29.6% of copper). Regarding dried peels which showed the lowest

values, but again, lemon peels were significantly better than those of orange. These values of lemon

were 58.0% for lead and 57.1% for copper but for orange peels, the biosorption percentages

reached 37.2% and 23.7% for lead and copper respectively. However, biosorption capacity of both

fruit peels at different forms were significantly affected by various levels of both pH and

temperature. The optimum pH and temperature values for better bioremoval capacity for all

treatment within this study were 5 and 40 C° for pH and temperature respectively. Based on above,

current data found that lemon peels are more efficient than the orange peels as biosorbents

materials. (Huaoon Z. A., Al-Azzawi M. N. A., Al-Hiyaly S. A. K., 2013; Kelly-Vargas K., Cerro-Lopez M.,

Reyna-Tellez S., Bandala E., Sanchez-Salas J. L., 2012)

Removal of Heavy Metals

Environmental and social problem has been quite rampant in our day to day life. One of these

environmental and social problem is due to the presence of hazardous pollutants specifically heavy

metals in our aqueous solution. With the continuous growth of population rate and needs for

industrial processing, the demand for water is also increasing giving the needs to remove heavy

metals from water by adsorption phenomena is gaining major relevance. These elements present in

aqueous solution are bio-accumulative as they are stable and assessment of their safe limits is

11
difficult in ecosystem. Adsorption over biomass-derived biosorbents has provided the capability to

treat wastewater on copious amount. (Gautam, Ravindra & Sharma, Sanjay & Mahiya, Suresh &

Chattopadhyaya, Mahesh, 2014)

Heavy metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today. The

treatment of heavy metals is of special concern due to their recalcitrance and persistence in the

environment. In recent years, various methods for heavy metal removal from wastewater have

been extensively studied. This paper reviews the current methods that have been used to treat

heavy metal wastewater and evaluates these techniques. These technologies include chemical

precipitation, ion-exchange, adsorption, membrane filtration, coagulation-flocculation, flotation and

electrochemical methods. It is evident from the literature survey articles that ion-exchange,

adsorption and membrane filtration are the most frequently studied for the treatment of heavy

metal wastewater. Heavy metals like Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni etc. are just one of the example of heavy metals

that contribute various effects based on their toxicity. The best way to resolve this problem is to

treat wastewater to be reused again. Attempts have been made to establish the scientific

background for reducing discharge of heavy metals unto the environment. (Fu, F., & Wang, Q., 2011;

Carolin, C. F., Kumar, P. S., Saravanan, A., Joshiba, G. J., & Naushad, M, 2017)

As stated by Lim, A. P., & Aris, A. Z (2014), Conventional treatment system could not completely

remove toxic metals in the water, thus wide ranges of low cost adsorbents have been endeavor to

remove heavy metals in aqueous solution and water. The efficiency of these low cost adsorbents

has been proved and supported with a lot of evidences in removing heavy metals from aqueous

solution. Using these adsorbents economically calls for an alternative treatment due to process or

pretreatment is not that complicated to be conducted.

T.A.H. Nguyen, H.H. Ngo, W.S. Guo, J. Zhang, S. Liang, Q.Y. and Yue, Q. Li, T.V (2013) conducted a

study wherein it says that the potential used of agricultural waste based adsorbents or AWBs for

12
sequestering heavy metals in terms of their capacities, binding mechanisms, operating factors and

pretreatment methods have shown equal or even greater adsorption capacities compared to

conventional. pH appears to be the most influential in the process of removing heavy metals from

wastewater. With this result, the used of AWBs in decontaminating heavy metals from wastewater

can be expected replacing the traditional adsorbents.

Adsorption processes are being widely used by various researchers for the removal of heavy

metals from waste streams and activated carbon has been frequently used as an adsorbent. Despite

its extensive use in water and wastewater treatment industries, activated carbon remains an

expensive material. In recent years, the need for safe and economical methods for the elimination of

heavy metals from contaminated waters has necessitated research interest toward the production

of low cost alternatives to commercially available activated carbon. Therefore, there is an urgent

need that all possible sources of agro-based inexpensive adsorbents should be explored and their

feasibility for the removal of heavy metals should be studied in detail. The objective of this research

is to study the utilization possibilities of less expensive adsorbents for the elimination of heavy

metals from wastewater. (Hegazi, H. A., 2013)

Based on the study of Tripathi, A., & Rawat Ranjan, M. (2015), the adsorption has been

investigated as a cost effective method of removal of heavy metals from wastewater. In the present

study various low cost adsorbent has been reviewed as an abatement of heavy metal pollution from

wastewater. These adsorbent includes materials of natural origin like zeolites, clay, peat moss and

chitin are found to be an effective agent for removal of toxic heavy metals like Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Hg,

Cr etc. Apart from these various agricultural wastes like rice husk, neem bark, black gram, waste

tea; Turkish coffee, walnut shell etc. were also established as a potent adsorbent for heavy metal

removal.

As stated by Jaishankar, M., et al., (2014), biosorption which can be defined as the selective

sequestering of metal soluble species, resulting in the immobilization of the metals is a striking

13
technology for retaining heavy metals from dilute solutions with high efficiency. Several prior

studies and research in environmental biotechnology have shown that many biosorbents occurring

in the environment have the capacity to remove heavy metals from solutions. This paper presents

the potential and result of studies carried out on economically cheaper natural materials like

agricultural wastes such as peanut shells and banana peels as biological adsorbent for the removal

of toxic heavy metal ions from waste water. The different metal ions studied were lead, copper, zinc

and cadmium.

According to the study of Renu, M. A., Singh, K., Upadhyaya, S., & Dohare, R. K (2017), the

removal of heavy metals ions from wastewater using agricultural waste is based upon metal

biosorption. Certain modifications in these adsorbents have been made to enhance the adsorption

capacity of these adsorbents. One of these modifications of adsorbents is through the use of some

chemicals such as mineral and organic acids, bases, oxidizing agents.

As what Dr. Nidhi Jain (2015) study stated, there are various methods used in removing heavy

metal contamination, present study used green technology. In that method different types of fruit

and vegetables peels are used such as pineapple peels, citrus fruits peels, orange peels etc. The

variables which the extent of removal of heavy metals was found to be dependent on are sorbent

dose, initial concentration, pH and temperature.

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SYNTHESIS

Most of the studies found were about heavy metals that were removed through the process of

adsorption and biosorption. Studies proved that lemon peel can be used as an adsorbent to remove

heavy metals such as copper, lead, and cobalt. It stated that through biosorption and adsorption,

they learned that lemon peel is a better adsorbent versus orange peel and banana peel. Factors that

affect a fruit peels’ ability to become an adsorbent include the water’s pH level and temperature.

Even when presented with various water changes, the lemon peel was still the most effective in

absorbing heavy metals from waste waters. Aside from the adsorption and biosorption process that

was used, there is another method namely, F1-TR technique, which can be used to compare and

remove heavy metals. Another study says that jackfruit peel can also be used as a low-cost

adsorbent due to its efficiency and ability to remove heavy metals. In conclusion, jackfruit and

lemon peel are both effective and both can be used as adsorbents to remove heavy metals. While

some studies show that carbonizing jackfruit peel is an effective adsorbent of heavy metals. Some

studies show that jackfruit is good for adsorbing cd(II) and Pb (II). Jackfruit can use also to remove

heavy metals in industrial wastewater and aside from being effective is adsorbing heavy metals, it is

also accessible and it is not complicated to do and especially cheaper than other heavy metals

adsorbent.

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 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter will give an outline of research methods that will be followed in the study.

Research Design

In this study, the type of research design that will be used is quantitative experimental

design. According to Klazema (2014), quantitative research is often expressed in numbers which

the researcher will represent and manipulate certain observations that they are studying. The type

of quantitative that will be used is experimental which means the results must be accurate and it

must rely on statistical analysis to prove its claims. This research design will show the cause-effect

relationship of the chosen variables.

The researchers will use this type of research design because the study will be about the

experiment on the effectiveness of different ratio of concentration on treating a polluted water with

heavy metals. For the independent variable, the researchers will use three (3) samples of lemon

and jackfruit peel concentration with different ratios to know the effectiveness among the three (3)

concentration in removal of heavy metals from the water of Manila Bay.

Materials and Methods

In this study, the materials that will be needing for the experiment are the following: 1 liter of

sample water (H20), 1 kilograms of Jackfruit Peels, and 1 kilograms of Lemon Peels.

The 1 liter of sample water will be collected from Manila Bay and the Jackfruit peels and Lemon

peels will be collected from the market. After collecting the materials, the researchers will set aside

the 1 liter of water sample and will proceed to the preparation of fruit peels. The fruit peels will be

washed in a distilled water for several times until the dirt is gone. After washing, let the fruit peels

dried up in a sunlight for 24 hrs. If the fruit peels are dried enough, cut it into smaller pieces and put

it in an electrical mixer separately, the jackfruit peels and lemon peels should be pulverized enough

16
to become a completely powder. After preparing the fruit peels, will proceed to the 1 liter of water

sample, the water will be separated into 4 water sample, each sample will have 250 ml of water, the

three (3) sample of water will be used for the treatment and the other sample will be used to

identify the initial amount of heavy metal. After preparing all the materials, the researchers will

undergo water treatment through biosorption process. The jackfruit peels and Lemon peels in a

different ratio will be mixed in a water sample and will be put it in a blender or electrical mixer to

be agitated for 12 hours, same goes on the 2 samples that will be used for treatment. After the

agitation, the water samples will be submitted to the Water Lab Center for the analysis of the water.

Data Collection Procedure

In order to collect the necessary data for this study, the researchers will be submitting the water

samples to the water lab center for the atomic absorption spectroscopy. After that, the data will be

collected and it will be interpreted by the researchers using the data analysis.

Data Analysis

The data analysis that will be used to statistically analyze the data gathered is the Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA). Since ANOVA is used for three or more groups of data, to gain information

about the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The researchers will

used this because the study has three (3) sample of water in a different concentration of jackfruit

peels and lemon peels to determine the effectiveness among the three (3) concentration.

17
Ethical Considerations

The main ethical principles that will considered in conducting this research are respect for

person, beneficence/non-maleficence, and confidentiality.

Humans are autonomous beings that have the right to decide whether or not they want to get

involved in this research. Informed consent will be given to the participants after the researchers

presented the information and purpose of this research. The researchers will ensure that each

participant has a complete understanding of the purpose and methods used in the study, the risks

involved, and the demands of the study. The researchers will not force or demand the participants

to be part of the study.

There will be no individual that will be harmed by serving as a participant in a study. The

researchers will consider the safety of the participants in obtaining water from Manila Bay. No

aquatic animals will be harmed in the processes preceding the experimentation. Protective

equipment will be utilized and personal hygiene will be given emphasis and importance to protect

the participants who will be involved in the research to avoid infection. Proper waste disposal will

be utmost considered to avoid any untoward biohazard incidents.

In terms of confidentiality, sensitive information that could risk the identity of the

participants will not be shared to anyone who are not involved in conducting this research. The

anonymity and privacy of the participant are promised and provided through the ends of this

research.

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 CHAPTER IV

PRESENATATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This section of the research presents the overall findings and analysis of the researchers

in the study. The data gathered are presented, analyzed, and interpreted to know the efficiency of

the adsorbent used in treating water.

4.1 Initial concentration of Lead (Pb)/Copper (Cu) in the water sample.

Table 1: Concentration of Lead (Pb) in the water sample from Manila Bay

For the first part of the study, the researchers collected water samples from Manila Bay and

submitted to Elarsi for the test of the Initial Concentration of Lead (Pb) and to see the results.

Nature of Water Sample Amount of Water Sample Initial Concentration of

(g/L) Lead (Pb), mg/L

Seawater 1 <0.03

Table 1 shows the initial concentration of Lead (Pb) in the collected sea water is below

0.03 mg/L which is the detection limit. Thus, the results showed that lead (Pb) is negative in the

water sample. However, in the similar study of Yunus, S. (2015), the initial concentration of

Lead (Pb) that found in seawater is 0.36-5.43 μg/L.

Therefore, there is a possibility that the seawater has a Lead (Pb). It just that the researcher’s

sample does not reach the detection limit of the content Lead (Pb).

19
Table 2: Concentration of Cu in a water sample

For the second part of the study, the researchers mixed the water samples and 5 grams of

Coppe r(Cu) and it was submitted to Elarsi to be tested for the initial concentration of Copper

(Cu). The present results was shown below.

Nature of Water Sample Amount of Water Sample Initial Concentration of

(g/L) Copper(Cu), mg/L
Tap Water 1 1,146

Table 2 shows the initial concentration of Copper (Cu) that was found in water is 1,146

mg/l. Based from the previous study of Kovacova (2019), the initial concentration of the Copper

(Cu) that found in water is 10 mg/L.

Both studies show the initial concentration of the water sample that has a Copper (Cu)

that reached the standard limit of Copper content (mg/l) in tap water, which is 2 mg/l.

4.2 The amount of Lead (Pb)/ Copper (Cu) reduced by the different concentration of fruit
peels.

Table 3: The amount of Lead (Pb) reduced by the different concentration of fruit peels.

For the first part of the study, the Table 3 below shows the amount of lead (Pb) removed by

the different concentrations of fruit peels from the polluted water for treatment. Since the

previous results from the initial concentration of Lead turned to be negative, the results from the

final concentration of Lead is not significant, therefore the researchers produced a solution that

contains heavy metal, Copper (Cu2+) by dissolving 5 grams of copper sulfate in 1 liter of water.

20
 Sea Water w/ Amount of Lemon Amount of Amount of Heavy
treatment Peel Jackfruit Peel (25 g) metal (Pb)
(25 g)
Sample 1 (75% 18.75 g 6.25 g <0.03 mg/L
Lemon Peel and
25%Jackfruit Peel)
Sample 2 (50% 12.5 g 12.5 g <0.03 mg/L
Lemon Peel and 50%
Jackfruit Peel)

Sample 3 (25% 6.25 g 18.75 g <0.03 mg/L

Lemon Peel and
75%Jackfruit Peel)

Hence there are other studies that still proves the efficiency of the mixture jackfruit peel

and banana peel as an adsorbent of heavy metals specifically lead. According to the results and

findings of Ragadevan V. et. al (2019), Jackfruit peeland banana peel proved to be cheap and

effective adsorbent for lead removal from water in dosage of 20 g (79.6%). The maximum

adsorption of lead removal by using jackfruit peel has been observed at pH = 7, Contact time =

One hour. It is stated that peels were an efficient biomaterial in removing lead (79.6%) from

water with an effective dose of 5 g of the adsorbent at a pH of 6.5. Lastly, their study also

demonstrated that jack fruit peel has good potential as an adsorbent for lead removal from water

because of its negatively charged binding sites in the adsorbent.

Table 4: The amount of Copper (Cu) reduced by the concentration of fruit peels.

For the second part of the study, the researchers treated the water solution using Jackfruit

and Lemon peels and submitted to Elarsi to be tested for the result of Copper (Cu) that was

removed.

21
 Tap Water w/ Amount of Lemon Amount of Jackfruit Amount of Heavy
treatment Peel Peel Metal
(10 g) (10 g) (Cu )
Sample 1 (50% 5g 5g 840 mg/L
Lemon Peel and 50%
Jackfruit Peel)

The table above shows the amount of the fruit peels which is 10 grams. Each powdered

peel distributed 5 grams on the water solution. After treating the water, The amount of copper

adsorbed by adsorbent in the adsorption systems were calculated by the following equations:

(𝐴 𝐴 − 𝐴 𝐴)
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 =
𝐴 𝐴

(𝐴 𝐴 − 𝐴 𝐴)
% 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴 𝐴𝐴 = 𝐴100
𝐴 𝐴

Wherein, the Ci is the final concentration of Copper which is 1,146 mg/L the Ce is the

initial concentration of the Copper which is 840.0 .mg/L to calculate the biosorption capacity.

The amount of Copper reduced in the water treatment is 0.27 mg/L. In percentage, the removal

of Copper is 27%. On the contrary, in the study of Al-Hiyaly (2013) it shows that the lemon

peels had higher capability because it has shown biosorption capacity of 71.3% for copper. Also,

ss mentioned in the study of Olugbenga (2015), The adsorption capacity of (Cu) was shown by

the jackfruit (17.4 mgg-1). In that case, it was proven that jackfruit powdered peel can also be

used as an adsorbent. Therefore, it is possible that the powdered lemon peel and powdered

jackfruit peel can help reduce the amount of Copper (Cu) in the given samples from tap water.

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4.3 Efficiency of the adsorbent to remove heavy metals (Cu /Pb)

For the first part of the study, the efficiency of the adsorbent to remove heavy metal

cannot be determined because the collected water sample does not have Lead (Pb).

However, in the study of Sruthi R. and Shabari M. (2018), the result in the initial lead

concentration (mg/l) is 0.110, and the final lead concentration (mg/l) is 0.054. Wherein,

the efficiency of removal is 51%. Therefore, there is a possibility on the efficiency of the

adsorbent to remove heavy metal.

For the second part of the study, since the previous results are not significant, the

presents results were, the initial concentration is 1,146 mg/l and the final concentration of

Copper (Cu) after treatment is 840.0 mg/l. It means that there were changes in the

amount of copper. Moreover, in similar study of Amato (2019), the researcher used

lemon peel to see if the copper will be removed, in the results it showed the initial

concentration of Copper is 0.0052 M and after treating it the final concentration of the

Copper was 0.0021 M. Therefore, the use of Jackfruit and Lemon peels are effective to

remove heavy metals.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

23
 This section of the research presents the overview of the study, the conclusions and

recommendation. This chapter will present the summary of the purpose of the study.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Based on the findings of the study, the following are hereby stated:

Based on the results, (1.) the first part of the study, the initial concentration of Lead is below

the detection limit, 0.03 mg/L which turned out to be negative, (2.) thus the final concentration of

Lead is not significant. Hence, according to other studies, the adsorbent was effective. In the

second part of the study, the initial concentration of Copper is 1,146 mg/L and the final

concentration of Copper is 840.0 mg/L. The amount of Heavy Metal that was removed from the

accumulated contaminated water is 27%. (3.) Overall, lemon peel and jackfruit peel is effective

to be used to as an adsorbent of heavy metals from polluted water.

Conclusions

Based on the study that researchers have conducted, the researchers have seen the

efficiency of Jackfruit Peel and Lemon Peel in removing heavy metals. The researchers

conducted two experiment to see if it is really effective since the researcher’s first trial is an

error, the researchers tried another alternative to prove the efficiency of the fruit peels. In the

second part of the study, the researchers made a two samples, one is for the initial concentration

of Copper and the other sample was treated using the Jackfruit and Lemon Peel. In the results,

there was a changes on the concentration of the copper. Hence, the researchers look for the other

study to prove the efficiency of the Jackfruit Peel and Lemon Peel. The researchers conclude that

24
the use of Jackfruit Peel and Lemon Peel as an adsorbent to remove heavy metal specifically

copper is effective.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the conclusions of the study, the following are recommendations:

1. It is recommended for the future researchers, to try other part of the plants such as leaves or

seeds that are more efficient to collect that might have similar components with its peels to be an

adsorbent.

2. The new examiners are also advised to explore different raw materials, other than lemon and

jackfruit that contains low pH level which has the potential to be an adsorbent.

3. For testing procedure, the future researchers are suggested to look or make their own

alternative agitator tool/equipment that is more consistent during agitation for better results and

accuracy.

4. If future researchers were to make use of seawater, it should be collected from the bottom to

ensure the presence of heavy metals.

5. Powdered fruit peels should be used immediately to prevent it from accumulating mold, which

prevents it from working.

6. Future researchers should attempt to remove other kinds of heavy metals to determine if the

lemon and jackfruit mixture works better on other heavy meals.

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