Arsenic removal from water using capacitive deionization electrode materials derived from Moringa oleifera seeds

Coagulants are essential in purifying raw water for drinking water safety for consumers. Commonly, aluminium sulphate, a chemical coagulant, is used for water treatment. However, for long-term usage, chemical coagulants can be considered toxic and harmful to the environment due to the accumulation of this substance in the pipeline system, which can create severe health issues if consumed. The natural plant-based coagulant can be a substitute for a sustainable solution in the water treatment coagulation process. This research aimed to determine the efficiency of plant-based materials as coagulants in surface water treatment. Moringa oleifera and maize seeds were chosen as natural coagulants in this investigation since they are both locally available plant-based materials. Here, this research aims to study the ability of moringa oleifera seed and maize seed as plant-based coagulants in enhancing the effluent quality of the wastewater treatment plant of UiTM Dengkil Selangor. A jar test experiment was used to assess the capacity of moringa oleifera and maize as natural coagulants. The results comprise turbidity removal by 92% (mixed of moringa oleifera seed and maize seed), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 95% reduction rate using moringa oleifera seed. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) for 88% removal by moringa oleifera seed, ammonia-nitrogen removal of 12% (moringa oleifera seed) and total suspended solids (TSS) of 100% reduction rate using mixed moringa oleifera seed and maize seed for the effluent sample. Thus, it can be recognized that moringa oleifera and maize seeds can be an alternative solution to replace the chemical coagulants in the treatment systems.

Arsenic removal from groundwater using low-cost carbon composite electrodes for capacitive deionization.

The use of Moringa oleifera as a natural coagulant in surface water treatment

The coagulation is essential in raw water treatment. The most used coagulants are often of chemical origin and expensive and their use generates non-biodegradable residues. This is why innovative studies on the synthesis of natural coagulants based on plant extracts are very important. This study presents a new method of producing a coagulant for the treatment of water from seeds of moringa oleifera. The application of the new method is done in several steps: Harvesting moringa oleifera seeds, shelling, crushing the seeds, extracting oil from moringa oleifera powder, extracting salts from powder from moringa seeds oleifera, microfiltration with a 0.2 µm filter and lyophilization which gives the final product in dry form. We used the resulting product for coagulation of lake water with an initial turbidity of 40 NTU. This treatment reduced the turbidity of the water by almost 95 % when we used 0.7 mg of this coagulant per liter of water. Moringa has previously been used to produce coagulant but the peculiarity of this study is that it takes a very small amount of the synthesized product to effectively treat water.­The results of this research work have shown that the coagulant produced rom the seeds of Moringa oleifera can be used effectively for the treatment of surface water.­The residual turbidity obtained after the treatment of lake water with the coagulant produced was in accordance with the drinking water standard according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (less than 5 NTU).­The coagulant produced by this new method from moringa oleifera seed is an alternative to aluminum sulfate coagulant for water treatment.

Nitrates, phosphates, and many other anionic chemical species are among the most problematic and widespread contaminants in water sources. Currently, technologies for removing them in water involve biological and physico-chemical processes. In this study, we test the extent to which the cationic protein from Moringa Oleifera (MO) seeds can effectively sequester anionic contaminants in water. The protein was isolated from the MO seed through selective adsorption onto two carbon adsorbents: rice husk ash and commercial activated carbon. This step was designed to eliminate the co-release of soluble organics in MO seeds, which can shorten the storage life of the treated water. The MO-functionalized adsorbents were then tested for their removal efficiency of five anions: chloride, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and sulfate. A semi-factorial experimental design was adopted to evaluate the effect of contact time and adsorbent dose on the anion removal efficiencies. As a control, experiments were also run in parallel using bare carbon adsorbents. The aqueous MO protein concentrations were measured using an optical density meter (280 nm) and ion concentrations were measured using an ion chromatograph. ANOVA analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of Moringa-functionalized carbon adsorbents compared to bare carbon adsorbents. Results show that MO protein adsorbs well on the carbon adsorbents, and that adsorption is higher in activated carbon than in rice husk. Equilibrium is achieved at 20 minutes of contact time. In all adsorbents (bare and MO-functionalized), the highest anion removal rate was observed for nitrate. Anion removal rates were generally higher in MO-functionalized adsorbents than in bare adsorbents. Phosphate removal was only observed in the MO-functionalized adsorbents, although it is noted that rice husk ash contained large amounts of soluble phosphate that contributed to a net positive increase of phosphate levels in the water. Overall, these findings suggest a strong potential for using MO protein as a low-cost water treatment technology, for example, in removing anionic dyes and surfactants. Further studies are needed to examine the surface interactions among anions, carbon adsorbents, and MO protein.

Moringa oleifera seeds contain cationic proteins that can be used for water and wastewater treatment; furthermore, the oil content of Moringa oleifera seeds is high, and the properties of this oil render it useful for many applications. In this study, it was investigated the effects of oil extraction on the structure, composition, and coagulant activity of Moringa oleifera seeds, and aimed to add value to the seed waste generated after oil extraction. The results revealed that the content of fatty acids and phenolic and aromatic compounds of the seeds decreased after oil extraction. However, the proteins, including those with coagulant properties, were retained in the oil-extracted seeds. Oil extraction increased the operating pH range of the natural flocculant derived from Moringa oleifera seeds from below 4.8 for the flocculant derived from oil-containing Moringa oleifera (M1) seeds to below 9.8 for the flocculant derived from oil-extracted Moringa oleifera (M2) seeds. Furthermore, the performance of the M1 and M2 seeds for water treatment via coagulation followed by dissolved air flotation was not significantly different, and their mean oil and grease removal efficiency was approximately 82.43 ± 0.70%. These results confirmed the promising use of Moringa oleifera seed waste for the removal of oil and grease from wastewater as a more affordable, sustainable, and natural alternative to commercial flocculants. In addition, the concomitant use of both the extracted oil and seed waste generated after oil extraction was facilitated. More studies should be performed to assess whether the performance of the M1 and M2 seed-derived flocculants could be improved at the pH values we determined to be optimal for the purification of the protein of interest, viz. 9.5 and 4.0, respectively.

UPHCE

Ostriches are frequently infected with viral, fungal, and bacterial diseases. This disease does not require airborne transmission and does not involve the respiratory system. Objective: To determine the antimicrobial activity of Moringa oleifera tea leaves and seed against bacteria in Ostrich feces. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from captive ostriches at the W.A Apparel factory. E. coli was isolated after the samples were inoculated on EMB. The antimicrobial activity of Moringa oleifera seeds and tea leaves was investigated. The antimicrobial activity of Ostrich feces was tested against E. coli. Results: The results showed that tea extract had no antimicrobial activity against E. coli. Moringa oleifera seeds extract prepared in ethanol on the other hand, were effective against E. coli. Conclusion: Moringa oleifera seeds (di ethanolic extract) have the potential to be effective against E. coli.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has newly emerged as a desalination technology because of its energy and cost effectiveness. In particular, CDI using a flow electrode (FCDI) significantly increased salt removal by continuous desalination even at salt concentrations of both brackish and seawater. Since CDI mainly uses the electrosorption of salt ions onto an electric double layer on electrodes, carbon materials and their derivatives have been widely used. Even with various approaches, including modification and synthesis of new carbon-based electrode materials, the salt-removal capacity of CDI and FCDI is still limited by the accessible surface area and charge-transfer properties of carbon electrodes. Hydroquinone (HQ) is a redox-active organic molecule with highly reversible properties in electrochemical reactions and is a low-cost and non-toxic material. In this study, we introduced quinone in the activated carbon (AC) electrodes for CDI and FCDI desalination systems. It exhibited a significant increase in salt-removal performance (for CDI, more than a 65% increase for 300 mM HQ, and for FCDI, more than a 19% increase for 500 mM HQ). Even though the specific surface area of an HQ-added AC electrode is reduced because of the penetration of small HQ molecules into pores in the AC surface, the pseudocapacitive contribution from HQ and benzoquinone (BQ) increased the salt removal performance. We analyzed such electrochemical properties by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We expect that such an approach will open a new door for realizing excellent deionization of saline water, even of seawater, and will have a strong potential for large-scale desalination and energy-storage systems. Figure 1

The present study evaluated the efficiency of starch wastewater treatment through coagulation/flocculation using extracts of Moringa oleifera (M.O.) seeds as a natural coagulant. The experiments were performed following a Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD). The studied variables were: M.O. concentration and sodium chloride (NaCl) solution concentration. The response variables analysed were: Turbidity, Apparent Colour, COD and Cyanide Ion. The operational conditions optimized by the statistical program were: M.O. concentration of 2,484 mg L-1 and saline concentration of 0.9 mol L-1. Under these conditions the removal estimates are 89.16 % (turbidity), 54.43 % (apparent colour), 66.39 % (COD) and 9.9 % (cyanide ion).

Researchers have studied Moringa oleifera commonly known as malunggay for a variety of uses most notably for water treatment. Studies have shown that the seeds of Moringa oleifera contain active constituents with an excellent coagulative property. It is in the light that this study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of Moringa oleifera seed powder in the treatment of blackwater effluent. In this study, wastewater samples were collected from Liceo de Cagayan University septic tank and were treated using pure Moringa oleifera seed powder and 50% Moringa oleifera seed solution. The researchers analyzed the wastewater samples for various parameters such as pH, turbidity, total hardness, TSS, COD, BOD, nitrates, phosphates, ammonia and total coliform. The results obtained showed that Moringa oleifera had caused increase values in most of the parameters, such as turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, total suspended solid, COD and BOD. Both concentrations were shown to be effective in reducing microbiological load and pH. Ammonia and total hardness also showed significant results. Therefore, Moringa oleifera seed can be considered as an alternative method for water treatment. Keywords: Moringa oleifera seed powder, 50% Moringa oleifera seed solution, natural coagulant, black water treatment

Ostrich farming is an important growing industry in Pakistan. Its business and importance is growing day by day. However, prevalence of bacteria is major threat to ostrich industry. Objective: To identify the dominant bacteria in the feces of ostriches. Methods: The ostrich that was kept in captivity at the W.A. Apparel factory provided the fecal samples. The samples were inoculated on EMB for the isolation of E. coli. Antibacterial effect of Moringa oleifera seeds and tea leaves with the use of chloroform as a solvent. The antibacterial activity was tested against E. coli using disc diffusion method. Amoxicillin and erythromycin were used as a control antibiotics. Results: It was noticed that tea extract did not show any antimicrobial activity against E. coli. However, Moringa oleifera seeds were effective against E. coli. Conclusion: It was concluded that Moringa oleifera seeds have the potential to work against E. coli.

Roasting and germination effect on fatty acids, tocopherols and triacylglycerols of Moringa oleifera and by Moringa peregrina seeds oils were investigated. Significant differences were indicated between both species. Oil content and oleic acid were higher in Moringa peregrina (51.22 and 70.76%) than Moringa oleifera (36.90 and 65.78%), while Moringa oleifera had higher tocopherols content than Moringa peregrina (28.8 and 11.45 mg/100 g), respectively. Triolein was the most abundant triacylglycerol in Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina seeds oils accounting for 38.28 and 34.32%, respectively. An increase had occurred in total unsaturated fatty acids and oil content, while total saturated fatty acids decreased in both species after germination. Triolein increased and α, β, γ and δ-tocopherols amounts decreased after germination in Moringa oleifera seed oil, while in Moringa peregrina seed oil no significant differences were reported. Roasting led to an increase in behenic, stearic and arachidic, while palmitic acid decreased in both species. The best treatment in roasting was 150 oC for 20 min which reported the highest amount of oleic acid (66.92 and 72.54%) and the lowest content of elaidic acid (0.10 and 0.13%) in Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina seeds oils, respectively.

Aims: The use of natural, on-site, low-cost coagulants can reduce problems related to the consumption of non-potable water and untreated wastewater discharges into receiving bodies. A natural solution for acting as a coagulant is the Moringa oleifera seed. The objective of this study is to analyze the efficiency of turbidity removal through the application of moringa seeds as a natural coagulant in three different retention times.
 Methodology: The research was carried out at the Agricultural Products Storage Processing Laboratory of the Federal University of Campina Grande. The powder obtained after trituration of the seeds and the seed without bark was used. A jar test was used to test the application of the coagulant based on powder and moringa seeds. To obtain artificial water, 0.5 g of clay was added to the jars of the jar test. The Jar Test was connected to a rotation of 120 rpm for 30 minutes, then was turned off and kept at rest for 45, 53 and 61 minutes. Subsequently, approximately 50 mL of sample was collected from each pitcher for analysis of the turbidity parameter.
 Results: The application of the seeds was more efficient than the powder. Sedimentation times influenced the removal of turbidity.
 Conclusion: The turbidity values are outside of what is allowed by current Brazilian legislation.

Clean, safe and readily available water is very crucial in everyday life, especially for health, hygiene, and the productivity of the community. Unfortunately, increase in contaminants in water supplies from human activities and industrialization is very worrying. Conventional wastewater treatment includes the usage of alum that will affect health with prolonged consumption. This research was carried out to focus on the development of wastewater treatment system using adsorbent from Moringa oleifera seeds. Adsorbent was successfully synthesized from the seeds of Moringa oleifera. Characterization of the sample was made using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), while the effectiveness of water treatment was analyzed using Turbidity Meter. Then, all samples were tested against kaolin wastewater. XRD results showed that all the adsorbent samples were amorphous in nature. FTIR results indicated that there were hydroxyl group and carboxylic group in the sample representing numerous oxygen-riddled functional groups on the surface. From SEM results, it was clearly shown that the pore structure and size of Moringa oleifera affected the capability of adsorption where the smaller the size, the more effective the sample. Turbidity test showed that the sample that worked best for wastewater treatment was adsorbent from Moringa oleifera seeds in size of 125µm that was heated for 4 hours with 93.76% turbidity removal. Therefore, this study proved that the adsorbent from Moringa oleifera seeds is very suitable for high turbidity wastewater treatment. Further studies investigating the combination of conventional activated carbon with adsorbent from Moringa oleifera seeds should be conducted before these samples are made available for further use so that we can compare which sample works best for wastewater treatment.