Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Vol. 3(6), pp. 102-112, June 2011
Harvesting surface rainwater – purification using Moringa oleifera seed extracts and aluminum sulfate
Arama Peter Futi
Ground water harvesting is a method of collecting surface runoff from a catchment’s area and storing it in surface reservoirs. The water harvested is usually contaminated and turbid. Methods used to purify water include filtration, sedimentation, boiling and chlorination. This project was carried out in Nyatike district, Western Kenya where water is scarce and water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery are prevalent. The main objectives of the research were to disseminate water harvesting technology using hand-dug water pans and to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera seed extract as water purifier.
Sites were identified for construction of demonstration water pans. Moringa seeds were milled after which methanol was used to extract water soluble components.. Representative water samples from Victoria Lake, Kuja River and Otho pond were collected and subjected to purification studies using M. oleifera seed extract and aluminum sulfate. M. oleifera was also tested for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) Salmonella typhii and Vibrio cholerae (ref. Romel Cary Blair Lot. 452610).
A total of 452 farmers were trained in water harvesting and purification technologies. Studies on water purification indicated that Alum lowered the water pH from 7.4 to 4.4 while samples treated with Moringa extract did not affect water pH. Alum was the better water purifier whereby application of 0.25 g/L decreased water turbidity from 310.7 to 1.1 NTU while M. oleifera decreased turbidity to 45.6 NTU. M. oleifera extract showed antibacterial activity. S. typhii was the most sensitive while V. cholera was the least sensitive.
International Research Journal of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics (ISSN-2250-9941) Vol. 1(11) pp. 297-303, December 2011
Effectiveness of herbs in community water treatment
R. Sowmeyan*, J. Santhosh and R. Latha
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Periyar Maniammai University, Vallam.613 403. Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India.
The primary objective of this study is to identify the most appropriate herbal plants for the removal of contaminants from water and also to develop a water treatment kit at an affordable cost for rural folk. Nearly seven herbs namely Neem, Moringa Oleifera, Vettiver, Nirmali, Luffa cylindrica and orange peel were chosen for this study. The effectiveness of these herbs in the removal of turbidity, total hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), fluoride, chloride, calcium and magnesium has been investigated. The results obtained from this study satisfy the drinking water standards prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO).
Journal of water, sanitation and hygiene for development, 2011, vol. 1, no2, pp. 112-123
Efficacy of an appropriate point-of-use water treatment intervention for low-income communities in India utilizing Moringa oleifera, sari-cloth filtration and solar UV disinfection
ALI Syed Imran ; MACDONALD Morgan ; JINCY J. ; ARUN SAMPATH K. ; VINOTHINI G. ; PHILIP Ligy ; HALL Kevin ; ARONSON Kristan ;
This study investigated the efficacy of a POU water treatment system featuring sari-cloth filtration and/ or Moringa oleifera coagulation as pre-treatments for solar disinfection (SODIS). Surface water from a peri-urban slum in Chennai, India, was treated and analysed for turbidity, organic content via chemical oxygen demand (COD) and microbiological quality via most probable number (MPN) enumeration of total coliforms. Pre-treatment with both moringa coagulation and sari-cloth filtration significantly improved the turbidity of raw water compared to no pre-treatment controls (P = 0.0002).
Optimal moringa coagulation did not outperform sari-cloth filtration (P = 0.06), but combining optimal moringa coagulation with sari-cloth filtration significantly outperformed either pre-treatment independently with respect to turbidity (P = 0.016 and P = 0.0001, respectively). The addition of moringa was found to increase COD in treated water, with greater doses of moringa resulting in higher COD levels (P = 0.04). Increased organics may have encouraged the re-growth of coliform bacteria that was observed in those jars receiving moringa coagulant such that, with respect to MPN, those jars which were subject to optimal moringa coagulation did not outperform those undergoing sari-cloth filtration alone (P = 0.41).
Sari-cloth filtration is recommended as a pre-treatment for SODIS whereas moringa is not, as further investigation on the relationship between organics and bacterial re-growth is necessary.
The Use of Moringa Seed Extract in Water Purification, 2011. D Yahaya, Federal University of Technology.
It is in this light that this research was carried out to confirm the effectiveness of powder extracted from mature-dried Moringa oleifera seeds which is commonly available in most rural communities of Africa. Comparative studies with potash alum showed that the seed was effective in the sedimentation of inorganic and organic matter in raw water. It reduced the total microbial and coliform counts by 55% and 65%, respectively, after 24 hours whereas potash alum achieved 65% and 85% reduction under similar condition. Findings of this research lend support to earlier works recommending the use of Moringa for water treatment.
A biopolymer–coagulant for household A biopolymer coagulant for household water treatment
Feb 1, 2012 Seminar by: Ampai Soros, PhD Student, ESE
Nearly a billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, and more than 80% of them are living in developing countries. Household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) is a promising intervention to solve this problem and to provide safe water for many people, especially the rural poor.
There are several low-cost technologies which have been employed for water treatment at the household level in developing countries, including ceramic pot filter, solar disinfection, combined
flocculation-disinfection, boiling, and biosand filters. Coagulation-flocculation is another simple technology that can be used at household level, and can be used in conjunction with other household water treatment methods to improve their effectiveness. Conventional coagulants such as aluminum sulfate have been used widely in large-scale water treatment plants; however, these coagulants are difficult to apply at the household level.
Chitosan, a bio-polymer from seafood waste, is a promising alternative coagulant for point of use household water treatment. It has the potential to remove contaminants in water, including microbes. It is favorable for use at the household level because it is biodegradable and non-toxic. In initial lab studies, results indicate that chitosans can remove bacteria and virus from water up to 99%. This showed its potential to be used alone or combined with other technologies for making microbially safe drinking water in the home.
Water Res. 2011 Dec 31.
Solar water disinfection (SODIS) of Escherichiacoli, Enterococcus spp., and MS2 coliphage: Effects of additives and alternative container materials.
Fisher MB, Iriarte M, Nelson KL. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1710, USA.
The use of alternative container materials and added oxidants accelerated the inactivation of MS2 coliphage and Escherichiacoli and Enterococcus spp. bacteria during solar water disinfection (SODIS) trials. Specifically, bottles made from polypropylene copolymer (PPCO), a partially UVB-transparent plastic, resulted in three-log inactivation of these organisms in approximately half the time required for disinfection in bottles made from PET, polycarbonate, or Tritan(®), which absorb most UVB light.
Furthermore, the addition of 125 mg/L sodium percarbonate in combination with either citric acid or copper plus ascorbate tended to accelerate inactivation by factors of 1.4-19. Finally, it was observed that the inactivation of E. coli and enterococci derived from local wastewater was far slower than the inactivation of laboratory-cultured E. coli and Enterococcus spp., while the inactivation of MS2 was slowest of all.
These results highlight the importance of UVB in SODIS under certain conditions, and also the greater sunlight resistance of some viruses and of bacteria of fecal origin, as compared to the laboratory-cultured bacteria commonly used to model their inactivation. Furthermore, this study illustrates promising new avenues for accelerating the inactivation of bacteria and viruses by solar disinfection.
Market potential analysis for water purifier using nanotechnology for the bottom of pyramid market, 2011.
DFID
A study was conducted to assess the market viability of a low cost water purifier aimed at the Bottom of the Pyramid market. The current market scenario among the target audience (consumers) and among the trade (dealers and retailers selling water purifiers) was investigated by means of a semi-structure questionnaire in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. The findings are presented in sections on Consumer insight, Retailer’s feedback, Perception of experts about providing ‘safe drinking water’ and an overview of best practices in providing products and services to a rural population in India.
Access to Safe Water: Approaches for Nanotechnology Benefits to Reach the Bottom of the Pyramid. Final Technical Report, May 2011.
DFID
During the study, it was found that nanotechnology has made huge strides in providing solutions for safe drinking water. However the widespread roll out of these solutions especially to the BoP is impeded by a few barriers. Key among them is the lack of awareness among the target group; first, on the status of their water resources and its health impacts, and second on effective ways to address this issue. The study found that nanotechnology research benefits can reach the BoP, through innovative and appropriate delivery models. Though the scientific community is divided about the perceived risks of nanotechnology, they are unanimous in stating that mankind should reap the benefits of nanotechnology research provided risks are managed through precautionary and pro-active policy to practice connect. Therefore, in Phase 2 of this research the focus would be to pilot these approaches and test their scalability potential. The learnings from the ground will feed into developing a regulatory framework complemented by a set of exemplary package of practices for risk management.
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Environ. Sci. Technol., Publication Date (Web): January 12, 2012
Freshwater availability and water fetching distance affect child health in Sub-Saharan Africa
Amy Janel Pickering and Jennifer Davis
Currently more than two-thirds of the population in Africa must leave their home to fetch water for drinking and domestic use. The time burden of water fetching has been suggested to influence volume of water collected by households as well as time spent on income generating activities and child care. However, little is known about the potential health benefits of reducing water fetching distances. Data from almost 200,000 Demographic and Health Surveys carried out in 26 countries were used to assess the relationship between household walk time to water source and child health outcomes. To estimate the causal effect of decreased water fetching time on health, geographic variation in freshwater availability was employed as an instrumental variable for one-way walk time to water source in a two-stage regression model.
Time spent walking to a household’s main water source was found to be a significant determinant of under-five child health. A 15-minute decrease in one-way walk time to water source is associated with a 41% average relative reduction in diarrhea prevalence, improved anthropometric indicators of child nutritional status, and a 11% relative reduction in under-five child mortality. These results suggest that reducing the time cost of fetching water should be a priority for water infrastructure investments in Africa. Furthermore, the health burden of water fetching borne by African children may increase in the next several decades, as climate change and growing urban populations continue to reduce per capita freshwater availability in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jnl Health Pop Nutr, Jan 2012
Diversity and Antibiograms of Bacterial Organisms Isolated from Household Drinking-water Samples Consumed by HIV-positive Individuals in Rural Settings, South Africa
A. Samie et al.
Diarrhoea is a hallmark of HIV infections in developing countries, and many diarrhoea-causing agents are often transmitted through water. The objective of the study was to determine the diversity and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of bacterial organisms isolated from HIV-infected and AIDS patients’ household drinking-water. In the present study, household water stored for use by HIV-positive patients was tested for microbial quality, and bacterial organisms isolated were analyzed for their antibiotic susceptibility profiles against 25 different antibiotics. The microbial quality of water was generally poor, and about 58% of water samples (n=270) were contaminated with faecal coliforms, with counts varying from 2 colony-forming unit (CFU)/100 mL to 2.4×04 CFU/100 mL. Education on treatment of household water is advised for HIV-positive patients, and measures should be taken to improve point-of-use water treatment as immunosuppressed individuals would be more susceptible to opportunistic infections.
