Abstract
The phytochemical profile of typical seeds from semiarid areas of Bahia was explored. The desalination capacity of the seeds discovered in previous studies considered the seeds potentially suitable for desalination of water. Coals composed of crushed seeds of umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arr. Cam.) and umburana (Amburana cearensis A. C. Sm.) were prepared by heating at 250 oC. As the desalination process using these materials involves ion exchange besides adsorption, it became necessary to study their chemical composition to check the possibility of transferring undesirable chemical species to the water during the contact between material and water. None of the tested metabolites were found in umbu coal, which enabled its use in desalination. However, the presence of coumarin and alkaloids in the umburana seeds coal indicated that this material is not suitable for that use.
Highlights
Researchers at the Universidade Federal da Bahia in northeastern Brazil have gathered water quality data since 2001 in districts with semiarid climates, allowing identification of the main problems regarding water use and assessment of impacts on the health of the population in the region
The government has devoted significant attention to desalination programs, which have allowed the exploration of desalination processes based on reverse osmosis
Fatty acids were found in both seed extracts when analyzed by gas chromatograph for mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS), which can be explained by the higher limit of detection of the applied phytochemical tests
Summary
Researchers at the Universidade Federal da Bahia in northeastern Brazil have gathered water quality data since 2001 in districts with semiarid climates, allowing identification of the main problems regarding water use and assessment of impacts on the health of the population in the region. Water quality data generated between 2001 and 2003 at twenty-three points along the Salitre River Basin, covering nine districts, showed that an average of 42% of the points presented brackish water, which is unsuitable for household consumption.[1]. The government has devoted significant attention to desalination programs, which have allowed the exploration of desalination processes based on reverse osmosis. This is the most widely used method in northeastern Brazil for water desalination. Reverse osmosis involves the generation of waste (i.e., wastewater with a high ionic concentration)
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