REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS

FROM WATER USING

MORINGA OLEIFERA
 CONTENTS

•Objective
•Sample collection & preparation
•Sample collection
•Moringa oleifera as coagulant
•How do seeds work?
•Dosage induced
•Test done in AAS
•Atomic absorption spectrometer
•Test readings
•Conclusion
 OBJECTIVE

• The main objective of our project is to remove the heavy

metals present in the water with the addition of natural
coagulant(Moringa oleifera) biosorption technique.
• The heavy metal contents are brought to the permissible
limits through this method and is measured in the atomic
absorption spectrometer.
 SAMPLE COLLECTION & PREPARATION

Sample Collection:
The sample of ripped moringa oleifera seed pods were
obtained from market nearby and raw water sample was collected
which has to be treated.

Sample Preparation:
The seeds were peeled to obtain the nuts and it was air-dried
for a week. Thereafter, the dried nuts were pulverized to a fine
powder and sieved to a mesh size of 150µm to obtain the seed
powder.
SAMPLE COLLECTION
 MORINGA OLEIFERA AS
COAGULANT

• Moringa Oleifera seed is one of the plant materials used in

treatment of turbid water through which the water
clarification is done.
• The Moringa oleifera seed is rich in copper, reported to have
potentials in water treatment, where it functions in
complementing the coagulating properties of the moringa
oleifera seed.
• The use of natural coagulants in water treatment process is
expected to provide more advantages than the use of synthetic
materials because they are natural and reported as safe to be
consumed.
 HOW DO SEEDS WORK ?

• The seed kernels contain significant quantities of a series of low

molecular weight, water-soluble proteins which, in solution,
carry an overall positive charge.
• The proteins are considered to act similarly to synthetic,
positively charged polymer coagulants.
• When added to raw water the proteins bind to the predominantly
negatively charged particulates.
• Under proper agitation these bound particulates then grow in size
to form the flocs , which may be left to settle by gravity or be
removed by filtration.
• Proteins in seeds powder are known as flocculent-inducing
 DOSAGE INDUCED

• Coagulation- flocculation process was done using shell-

less Moringa oleifera seed powder.
• These coagulants were prepared by peeling off the seeds
from drumsticks, drying it, ground to fine powder and
sieved.
• Optimum doses of 1g/L and 2 g/L coagulants were used
for different water samples containing heavy metals
concentrations of 2.5 g/L.
• The optimum dosage is the minimum dosage of coagulant
corresponding to the removal of heavy metals present in
the water samples.
 TEST DONE IN AAS
• The samples are tested for the reduction of metal salts using
Atomic Absorption Spectrometer.
• The samples were tested for the metal contents at 30min
intervals up to first 3 hours, then at 4 th hour and 8th hour.
• Then the test is carried out on 2nd ,3rd ,4th ,5th ,10th and 20th day.
• At optimum dosage of 2.5 gm/L the reduction of metal ion
contents in the water gets reduced considerably to the
permissible limits.
• The metal absorbing capacity of moringa is obtained by testing
the various samples for various metals in Atomic absorption
spectrometer. Here the samples are tested for copper, mercury,
lead.
ATOMIC ABSORPTION
SPECTROMETER
 CALCULATION OF METAL’S
PERCENTAGE

Q= V (c1 – c2) * 100 /S

Where,
Q = metal ion capacity (mg/l)
c1= initial concentration of metal in solution, before sorption analysis
(mg/l)
c2= final concentration of metal in solution, after sorption analysis (mg/l)
S = dry weight of biosorbant (mg)
V = solution volume (l)
 TEST READINGS
Table 1 Optimised contact time of copper(in mins)
Contact time in minutes Concentration (mg/l) % Removal
30 2.5 0.0896
60 2.5 0.1824
90 2.5 0.2736
120 2.5 0.288
150 2.5 0.602
180 2.5 0.733

Table 2 Removal efficiency of copper (in hours)

Contact time in hours Concentration (mg/l) % Removal

1 2.5 0.1824

2 2.5 0.288

4 2.5 0.976

8 2.5 1.728
Table 3 Detention time in days of copper (in days)

Contact time in days Concentration (mg/l) % Removal

1 2.5 1.728

2 2.5 11.207

3 2.5 21.685

4 2.5 32.80

5 2.5 44.56

10 2.5 68.62

20 2.5 94.24
 % REMOVAL OF COPPER
1st day % Removal
100
2
90
1.8
80
1.6
70
1.4

1.2 60

1 50

0.8 40
0.6
30
0.4
20
0.2
10
0
30 min 60 min 90 min 120 min 150 min 180 min 4 hr 8 hr
0
8 hr Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 10 Day 20

Time % Removal
 DISCUSSIONS FROM RESULTS

• Moringa oleifera seeds acts as a natural coagulant, flocculent,

absorbent for the treatment of drinking water.
• It reduces the total hardness, turbidity, acidity, alkalinity, chloride
after the treatment.
• The results obtained show that powder from seed kernels of
Moringa oleifera contains some coagulating properties and
adsorbs the heavy metals to a greater extent at loading doses of
10 g/L and above that it has similar effect as the conventional
coagulum, alum.
Contd.,

• During the analysis, it was observed that after treatment with

Moringa oleifera seed powder; pH was decreased at 50 and 100
mg/l dose, but at 150 mg/l dose, it was partially increased.
• After treatment the range of pH was 7 - 7.5 and it is within the
limit.
• If Moringa oleifera seed powder and chlorine are combined, it
gives better results and the water can be suitable for drinking.
AFTER TREATMENT
 ADVANTAGES

• Large scale treatment at village level produces large quantity of

sludge which can be used as bio-fertilizers and it becomes an
added advantage of this treatment.
• This kind of treatment is more economical, eco-friendly and
cheaper method of purification of water which is advantageous
when it’s used in the rural areas where no facilities are available
for the treatment of drinking water.
• Moringa coagulum is easily available, and hence it is chosen for
our project as natural coagulant than other seeds.
 CONCLUSION
• Themetal concentrations in the solution keeps on decreasing
from the first day of adding the moringa powder.
• This is due to the phenomena of positively charged particle to
absorb the negatively charged particle by nature which tends to
neutralize the both particles.
• Metal ions in nature doesn’t settle at bottom, instead it keeps in
suspended in the solution. Moringa powder has more weight
which tends to settle at base, after which it can be separated and
cleaned.
• Whenever the moringa is introduced into the solution it spreads
and sticks to the heavy metal ions in nature. On continuous
contact with the ions cadmium ions and moringa powder gets
neutralizes.
 REFERENCES

• Active agents &mechanism of coagulation of turbid water

using Moringa Oleifera,1995 water research-Anselme
Ndabigengesere, K.Subba Narasiah, Brian G.Taibot
• Moringa oleifera seeds for softening hard water-Suleyman
A.Muyibi, Lilian M.Evison
• Removal of halow ethers, trihalow methane from water
using moringa oleifera seeds-2016 International Journal of
Environmental science & Technology-Alsharaa A, Basheer
C, Adio S.O
• Quality of water treated by coagulation using Moringa
Oleifera seeds-1998 water research-Anselme
Ndabigengesere, K.Subba Narasiah, Brian G.Taibot
THANK
YOU