Student Research Reports

View Research Report

Water has become heavily polluted due to overexploitation. Various global river systems, such as the Meycauayan River, have been shown to have lead concentrations that are hazardous for human consumption. Lead is one of the heavy metals that are associated with this pollution, as it brings alarming health threats due to bioaccumulation. Different filtration materials have been explored in the past for their capabilities in lead adsorption, including sugarcane bagasse and pectin. And thus, the project aimed to compare pure pectin beads and beads containing sugarcane bagasse modified with iron (III) oxide-hydroxide for their capability to filter a simulated wastewater. The study also aims to study the relationship of lead concentrations in rivers with water pH and temperature as a measurable indicator for areas with high potential for lead contamination. Sugarcane bagasse was modified through submersion and mixing with FeCl2 and NaOH. A 6% pectin solution was prepared and dropped into a 1.5 M CaCl2 solution, with modified bagasse being incorporated in a separate batch. The formulated beads were then placed in a simple filtration setup and a 500 ppm lead acetate solution was run through. The effluent water was then measured for lead absorbance. The pure pectin beads reflected a mean lead removal percentage of 67.76%, while the beads containing modified bagasse had an average of 40.33%. Past research shows modified bagasse’s lead adsorption works best with higher contact times, so it may be a more feasible material for large-scale wastewater treatment. Pectin-based solutions have shown in the past their capability to absorb lead with shorter contact times. Past studies have related increased lead concentrations with acidic water and higher temperatures, so it is recommended for areas meeting these conditions to evaluate lead contamination and to employ effective and cost-efficient methods for lead filtration.