The increasing environmental and industrial problems from water pollution, particularly oil spills, brought about the need to find new and more effective ways in removing pollutants from water. This study focuses in applying the adsorption technique in separating water from oil, a pollutant. Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima), a kind of grass plant commonly used in making soft brooms in the Philippines is utilized as the adsorbent and used cooking oil as the adsorbate. An adsorption apparatus was build with used materials commonly found in house homes. During the adsorption experiments, the Tiger Grass adsorbed the oil from water. The results show that Tiger Grass is an effective bio-adsorbent.

1. The Application of Adsorption Technique Using Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima) for
the Removal of Pollutants from Contaminated Water
Philip Jayson L. Lestojas and Franz Stefanie S. Sanico
Nieves Villarica National High School
Presented to the Division Science and Technology Fair 2016
Jim Lyn C. Pacatang, Research Teacher
ABSTRACT
The increasing environmental and industrial problems from water pollution, particularly
oil spills, brought about the need to find new and more effective ways in removing pollutants
from water. This study focuses in applying the adsorption technique in separating water from oil,
a pollutant. Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima), a kind of grass plant commonly used in making
soft brooms in the Philippines is utilized as the adsorbent and used cooking oil as the adsorbate.
An adsorption apparatus was build with used materials commonly found in house homes. During
the adsorption experiments, the Tiger Grass adsorbed the oil from water. The results show that
Tiger Grass s an effective bio-adsorbent.
INTRODUCTION
Due to the use of different technologies in daily life, water pollution, particularly oil spill
exists more often. Pollutants from domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors altered the

2. quality of water. These bring harmful effects to the water and its aquatic resources (Prasida,
2015).
Conserve Energy Future (2016) stressed that oil spill pollution happens when liquid
petroleum is released into a body of water. These oils such as crude oil are released due to
human carelessness. Some of the sources of these oils in the seas and oceans include petroleum-
powered water vessels and large scale industries. This damage to the body of water is costly and
takes long time to clean up.
In the history, the largest oil spill happened is during the war between the Iraqi and
American forces. January 19, 1991 when Iraqi forces released 380-520 million gallons of oil into
the Persian Gulf, Kuwait to prevent the American marines from its potential landing (Moss,
2010).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2016) stated that old and recent oil
spills brought deaths to marine species because of the oils’ poisonous chemical constituents.
Marine organisms die because of their exposure to oil in terms of external exposure through skin
and eye irritation and internal exposure through inhalation. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (2014) Bird species and mammals die due to hypothermia. It happened among
birds when they lose the ability to repel water and protect themselves from cold water, causing
them not to maintain their body temperatures.
In the Philippines, the worst oil spill incident took place along the strait of Guimaras
Island, according to Greenpeace (2006), 2.1 million liters of oil was released into the sea on
August 11, 2006 after a huge vessel sank. While according to World Wildlife Fund (2006), flora

3. and fauna found in the strait were greatly damaged. At least 1000 hectares of mangroves were
affected and species such as dugong, turtles, and several cetacean species were threatened.
Philippines is a developing nation that currently experiences urbanization and
industrialization. Greenpeace Philippines (2010) survey shows that developments in the country
are the cause of water pollution generally. Statistics revealed that 40 percent of the water bodies
having only fair water quality and 13 percent are seriously under water pollution. Out 421 rivers
in the country, 50 of it are now “biologically dead”.
Thus, to solve water pollution in the environment, the researchers apply the adsorption
technique for the removal of pollutants from the contaminated water. Adsorption is a mass
transfer process which involves the accumulation of substances at the interface of two phases. It
is a separation process in which certain components of a liquid phase are transferred to the
surface of the liquid adsorbents (Mandal, 2014). In the process of adsorption, the substance being
absorbed is the adsorbate and the adsorbing material is the adsorbent (Amrita, 2013).
This study uses the Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima) as the bio-adsorbent. According
to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCARRD), this is usually found in the highlands of Ifugao and Mountain
Province. Locally called ‘tambo’, it is the raw material from which soft brooms, or walis tambo,
are made out of. Tiger Grass is a kind of Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) that has the ability
to thrive in barren and marginal land.
The application of the adsorption technique for the removal of pollutants from
contaminated water is an advantage because it is cheap, metal selective, regenerative. It has no

4. sludge generation, has metal recovery, and has competitive performance (Renge, Khedkar,
Pande, 2012).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
ResearchEnvironment
This study was conducted at the Science Laboratory of Nieves Villarica National High
School, Zone 7, Barangay Villarica, Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal.
Materials
The materials used for the constructing of the adsorption apparatus were the following:
 4 used 1.5-L plastic bottles with caps
 Tiger Grass
 Polyvinyl chlorine (PVC) pipes
 2 meter-water hose
 Masking tape
 1 meter-thin metal wire
The materials and equipment used during the testing process were the following:
 Beaker
 Graduated cylinder
 Cutter
 Water

5.  Used oil
Collection
The Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima) was gathered from the used soft broom.
Materials needed in making the adsorption apparatus were bought from the hardware stores.
Methods
Constructing the Adsorption Apparatus
1. The PVC pipes were connected until the base and the branches that are suitable in
holding 4 plastic bottles were built. The branches were connected to the body of the
apparatus alternately for balancing.
2. The bottom part of the plastic bottles was cut.
3. Using the thin metal wire and the masking tape, each plastic bottle was attached to
each branch upside down.
4. The caps were holed with enough size that the water hose can fit in it, making sure
that the hole is not too big so that the water hose cannot fall off.
5. The water hose were used to connect the plastic bottles so that the water can flow
smoothly.
6. The tiger grasses were put into the plastic bottles.
Preparing the Contaminated Water
1. The beaker was prepared.

6. 2. There were 3 setups of contaminated water: Setup 2 with 20 mL of oil in 100 mL
water; Setup 3 with 40 mL oil in 200 mL water; Setup 4 with 60 mL oil in 300 mL
water.
3. A control setup, Setup 1, had no oil in it with 100 mL water.
Adsorption Experiment
1. Setup 1 was poured onto the topmost bottle for the water to gradually move
downward through the tubes and lower bottles.
2. A beaker was placed below the short hose connected to the lowest bottle to collect the
liquid.
3. The same process was done on Setups 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Adsorption Results
Table 1. Presence of Oil in Water Before and After Adsorption
EXPERIMENTAL
SETUPS
BEFORE AFTER
AMOUNT
OF
WATER
AMOUNT
OF OIL
IS OIL STILL
PRESENT IN THE
WATER AFTER
ADSORPTION?
YES NO
Setup 1 100 ml 0 ml √
Setup 2 100 ml 20 ml √
Setup 3 200 ml 40 ml √
Setup 4 300 ml 60 ml √
The table above shows that the presence of oil in all setups was removed after adsorption
technique. The amount of water and oil in each setup does not affect the result of the process.

8. Figure1. Experimental Set-up
The figure above shows that no oil was in the water. After the adsorption process, the
colorless clear water became yellowish due to the color of the Tiger Grass.
Figure2. Experimental Set-up
BEFORE AFTER
BEFORE AFTER

9. The figure above shows that there is oil in the water before the adsorption. After the
process, the oil was fully removed from the water. The water became yellowish due to the color
of the Tiger Grass.
Figure3. Experimental Set-up
The figure above shows that there is oil in the water before the adsorption. After the
process, the oil was fully removed from the water. The water became yellowish due to the color
of the Tiger Grass.
Figure4. Experimental Set-up
BEFORE AFTER
BEFORE AFTER

10. The figure above shows that there is oil in the water before the adsorption. After the
process, the oil was fully removed from the water. The water became yellowish due to the color
of the Tiger Grass.
CONCLUSION
Based from the results, after the adsorption techniques done on different amount of water
and oil in each experimental setup, Tiger Gras (Thysanolaena maxima) is an effective adsorbent
of water pollutants, particularly oil. In the adsorption technique done, while the water with oil is
flowing through the adsorption apparatus, the oil was adsorbed by the Tiger Grass leaving the
water flowing until it reached the bottom of the apparatus.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Conserve Energy Future (2016) Water Pollution
Greenpeace (2006) Guimaras Oil Spill
Greenpeace (2010) The state of freshwater sources in the Philippines
Mandal, N. (2014) “Performance of Low-Cost Bio-Adsorbents for the Removal of Metal Ions –
A Review”
Moss, L. (2015) Mother Nature Network “The 13 Largest Oil Spills in History”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2014, 2016) Oil Spills

11. Prasida, S. (2015), Google Science Fair “Low Cost Bio Adsorbent”
Renge, V., Khedkar, S. Pande, S. (2012). Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewater Using
Low Cost Adsorbents: A Review. Scientific Reviews and Chemical Communications,
Vol. 2 No. 4 pp. 580 – 584
World Wildlife Fund (2006) Large oil spill in the Philippines threatens marine ecosystem