Title: Removal of heavy metal ions from household drinking water using acacia galpinii seeds and seed pods

Biography:

Donatus Dube has his expertise in developing rudimentary water treatment systems for low income communities using materials that are abundant in the environment. His major achievement is the patented process of developing magnetic-ceramic systems for detoxification of effluents and drinking water.

Abstract

Contamination of drinking water with heavy metals poses a human health threat, particularly in low-income countries where point-of-use water purification systems are beyond the reach of a majority of households. The study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of Acacia galpinii (monkey thorn tree) biomass in removing Pb(II), Cd(II), Ca(II) and Mg(II) ions from drinking water. A. galpinii biomass from seed and seed pods was processed by pulverizing, Soxhlet oil extraction and particle size grading. The material was analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry. Influence of the physiochemical parameters (contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH) on the effectiveness of the biomass in removing Pb(II), Cd(II), Ca(II) and Mg(II) ions was evaluated and the best fit adsorption isotherm model (Langmuir vs. Freundlich) was also determined. Particle size, dose, contact time and pH all played significant roles in the effectiveness of metal removal for both seed and seed pod biomass. At biomass particle size <90 microns, 98% removal rates of Pb(II) ions were achieved for seed pods (AGK) compared with 65% for plain seeds (AGS). The same trend was observed for Cd, Ca and Mg. Contact time for effective removal of metal ions by AGK and AGS were 90 min and 120 min, respectively. Maximum adsorption was achieved at solution pH 6-8 for all metals. Lead adsorption followed a Langmuir isotherm with maximum adsorption capacities of 10.8932 for AGK and 3.4412 for AGS. Adsorption of Ca and Mg followed a Freundlich model, with adsorption capacity of 1.1789 for Ca and 1.4521 for Mg. Acacia galpinii seeds and seed pods are inexpensive, readily available and may serve as a cost effective means for treatment of drinking water for domestic users in the lower end of the income spectrum.