This document summarizes research on using Moringa oleifera seeds to remove heavy metals from water. Moringa seeds were collected and prepared by drying, peeling, and grinding. Samples were tested with varying dosages of Moringa powder over various time periods from 30 minutes to 20 days. Atomic absorption spectrometry showed heavy metal concentrations decreased significantly over time. Optimum removal occurred with a dosage of 2.5 g/L over 20 days, reducing metal levels to permissible limits. The research demonstrated Moringa's effectiveness as a natural coagulant for water purification.

1. REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS
FROM WATER USING
MORINGA OLEIFERA

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. SAMPLE COLLECTION

6. MORINGA OLEIFERAAS
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.

7. 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 agents.

8. 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.

9. 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 4th 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.

10. ATOMIC ABSORPTION
SPECTROMETER

11. 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)

12. 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
TEST READINGS
Table 1 Optimised contact time of copper(in mins)
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 2 Removal efficiency of copper (in hours)

13. 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
Table 3 Detention time in days of copper (in days)

14. % REMOVAL OF COPPER
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
30 min 60 min 90 min 120 min 150 min 180 min 4 hr 8 hr
1st day
Time
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
8 hr Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 10 Day 20
% Removal
% Removal

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. AFTER TREATMENT

18. 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.

19. CONCLUSION
• The metal 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.

20. 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

21. THANK
YOU