Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as

Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of

Marikina River.

“Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as

a Bio-coagulant in improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of

Marikina River.”

Galano, Mary Grachelle Rem A.

Loplop, Eljae C.

Guarte, Jimleth Y.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Research

Marikina High School, Marikina City

Mrs. Jacqueline Ladera Tabujara

Research Adviser

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

Human beings and other living organisms on earth need water in order to live. Clean

water is very important to the fish since it is where they live. There are times that fishes

cannot resist the turbidity or the haziness of the water, therefore the condition of water is

very important. A study conducted on the use of Alum and Moringa oleifera in surface

water treatment recorded 68.8-98.9% and 90-99% reduction in turbidity respectively

(Boateng, 2001). The Moringa oleifera is a plant with various medicinal purposes, the

seeds of the moringa fruit are used by some people as medicine for anemia, arthritis and

joint pains. However, this is not common knowledge to most Filipinos which is why the

seeds are usually discarded and only the leaves are being used. A much less widely

known use of the malunggay seed is as a bio-coagulant. In a few parts of the world, the

seeds have been used by the researcher to filter polluted groundwater in small

communities, thus providing the villagers with a much safer alternative.

Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) trees are ubiquitous in the Philippines that is a tropical

country Moringa oleifera seed pods or the fruit can be harvested from nearby sources or

bought from local markets. It is widely used as a food

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

item because it is accessible, compared to other food products, also very cheap.

Coagulation is a process where heavy metals and other impurities of water is being

separated from the water. There are conventional coagulants like aluminum sulfate that

cannot be bought since it is very expensive and is not accessible in the Philippines. This

study will serve as an alternative natural coagulant since Moringa oleifera seeds is an

active coagulant. The fractionation of the Moringa oleifera seed has increased its

coagulation capacity. The highest values presented in are Moringa oleifera seed are

globulin and albumin with 53% and 44%. The 13mg/ L of globulin coagulant reached

87.40% of color and 89.71% of turbidity (Protein fractionation of seeds of Moringa oleifera

lam and its application in superficial water treatment, 2017). According to a research and

Professor Sheeja (2013), the malunggay seed can remove heavy metals such as copper,

lead and chromium in water. Unlike other particles in the water such as clay, bacteria,

and other toxic materials which are negatively charged, the protein in the malunggay seed

powder is positively charged, thus attracting the negatively charged particles like a

magnet. Flocs are formed by the flocculation process that can be easily removed by

allowing the water to settle or removed by filtration. The process is said not only to clarify

turbid water significantly, but also remove 90-99% of bacteria contained in water

(Hupston, 2010).

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

Aquatic plants are known as best tool in absorbing and extracting dirt and other

pollutants in the water. One of it is the Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) it is not a

rooted plant and floats on water that’s why harvesting is not hassle. Water hyacinth is

said to be useless and destructive like water lilies that makes a wide flooding of areas

since the production and growth of it is very fast therefore the people used it to make

ropes and furniture since it is a highly in fiber, however Water hyacinth is good in treating

wastewater and even surface water like river. Water hyacinth can eliminate large amount

of phosphorus and nitrogen in water; nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that help and

support the algae’s growth and other aquatic plants but too much of it can cause pollution

in water and can be linked in the acidification of freshwaters like river, lakes and ponds.

The researchers will utilize the water hyacinth and turn it into a powdered form for there

is no study presented it before since the traditional way of aquatic plants is to directly

absorb the pollutants as how it grows in the water and using it as biocoagulant will not

just solve the problem about the pollution of water but also to lessen and remove some

of it since it causes complications to the environment and to the living organisms.

Poverty is present in the Philippines, some Filipinos depend their living needsin their

surroundings, if the water has many pollutants that even fishes cannot resist, it will not

only affects the fishes but also the people who rely their needs in the river where the

fishes are being caught. In Philippines, there is what we call Marikina-Pasig River and it

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

is known to be very clean that many people used to be there to see the beautiful scenery

and feel the fresh air. In the past few years, this has been amplified by widespread

urbanization and improper garbage disposal and due to it, the river become more dirty

and contaminated with various toxic materials. Mayors are trying to revive the river by

having programs about proper garbage disposal and rehabilitation so that the garbage

materials will be lessen but it is not enough for the river to fully gain back the cleanliness

of the water. With the use of the Moringa oleifera seed and Water hyacinth as a

coagulant, the researcher believe it will be able to improve surface water quality in terms

of its turbidity, and pH level like measuring and identifying the amount of phosphorus and

nitrogen similar to how it was effective in wastewater. The resulting treated water, which

may end up much safer and cleaner, can help with the ongoing condition of water in

Marikina-Pasig River.

Statement of the Problem

There is a lot of surface water like Marikina-Pasig River has long been facing

cases of water pollution and in the past few years, this has been amplified by irresponsible

mining, widespread urbanization, and improper garbage disposal. As a result, the other

living organisms are having complications and worst, death for water is being

contaminated with too much phosphorus and nitrogen. To solve this, researcher has

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

proposed the use of natural coagulants in powder form which are Malunggay (Moringa

oleifera) seed and Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in treating surface water like

Marikina River.

The researcher intends to solve the problem according to the following:

1. What is the Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) and pH level of the following

optimum dosages of different coagulant mixtures in a beaker:

a. Control of the study (no coagulant)

b. 100% Moringa oleifera seed

c. 70% Moringa oleifera, 30% Water hyacinth

d. 50% Moringa oleifera, 50% Water hyacinth

e. 100% Water hyacinth

f. 70% Water hyacinth, 30% Moringa olefera

2. What is the reduced Nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosporus) of the following

optimum dosages of coagulant mixtures in a beaker:

a. Control of the study (no coagulant)

b. 100% Moringa oleifera seed

c. 70% Moringa oleifera, 30% Water hyacinth

d. 50% Moringa oleifera, 50% Water hyacinth

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

e. 100% Water hyacinth

f. 70% Water hyacinth, 30% Moringa oleifera

3. Which is the Optimum dosage of coagulants mixture show the best result in
treating water from Marikina River in

terms of Turbidity, pH level and reduction of Nutrients?

Significance of the Study

The study will be significant in determining the effectiveness of natural coagulants

thus, providing an alternative for its more commonly used synthetic counterpart, alum—

which is very expensive and not accessible. Since bio-coagulants can be extracted from

renewable and nearby sources, and Moringa oleifera and Water hyacinth are common

in a tropical country like Philippines, it will be able to give safe and clean water for fishes

through cost effective means. Also, it presents a means to utilize Moringa oleifera seeds

which are often the wasted by-products of the agricultural industry and Water hyacinth

that is also being over production. This study will also help future researchers who are

interested in the topic, serving as reference and guide for future research and may be

applied in treating large amount of water in Marikina River.

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study aims to show how bio-coagulants are effective in making water potable to

the living organisms specially fishes. The study is only limited in characterization of the

achieved of the appropriate pH level in water from Marikina River, its cleanliness in

appearance or the decreased of turbidity with different seed dosages being applied in a

sample of water from Marikina River. The two natural coagulants were combined and

compared which optimum dosage of coagulants aims the best results in coagulation. This

study undergo few tests after the application of bio-coagulant in water from the river to

determine which treatment is the best in treating surface waters according to its pH and

turbidity and it can be a guide for future researchers to apply it in a large amount of water

of Marikina River or in any other river.

Hypothesis

If Moringa oleifera seed and Water Hyacinth are used as a bio-coagulant that

effectively improved the quality of the Marikina river sample water, then it can serve as

an alternative method for future researchers and environmentalists to apply and aid

large bodies of water like Marikina River.

Definition of Terms

This study uses the following terms that are conceptually defined:

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

Bio-coagulant. This is a natural coagulant that is being add in order to clarify the

water.

Coagulation/ Flocculation. Coagulation is adding liquid aluminum sulfate or alum

and/or polymer to raw or untreated water. The resulting mixture causes the dirt particles

in the water to coagulates or stick together. Then, the groups of dirt particles attach

together, forming larger particles named flocs that can easily be removed via filtration or

settling.

pH level. This is a measure of acidity and alkalinity of a solution that is a number

on a scale of 0- 14. It is calculated using the expression (- log [H3O+).

Polymer. This is a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or

entirely large number of similar units bonded together.

Turbidity. It means not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment or it is

how cloudy or hazy the water.

Colloid. A mixture in which very small particles of one substance are distributed

evenly through another particles.

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

Methodology

Site Description

The samples being examined is from the Marikina River which is part of National

Capital Region (NCR) with the population number around 8 million which is 13% of the

population in the Philippines. Marikina-Pasig River is the mainstream of water coming

from houses and villages in Marikina City. This river connects the Manila Bay and Laguna

de Bay with 25 kilometers long. The river become severe and polluted because of the

urbanization and solid waste and due to it spilling of a substance or toxic materials

contribute pollution to the water. The Marikina River is nearby to the houses of people

and other establishments and most of the time they are experiencing flash flood whenever

there is an occurrence of storm with strong winds and heavy rains that leads to increase

the number of people getting diseases of having contact to this unclean and unsafe water.

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

Table 1. Field Layout of various coagulant optimum doses

Sample number Mixtures of optimum dosage Percentage of optimum

dosage

1 Control of the study No coagulant

2 M100 100% Moringa

3 M70W30 70%Moringa, 30% Water

hyacinth

4 M50W50 50%Moringa, 50% Water

hyacinth

5 W100 100% Water hyacinth

6 W70M30 70% Water hyacinth, 30%

Moringa

Design of experiment

The layout of the experiment was Completely Randomized Design (CRD). There are 6

treatment including the control in 250 mL of water from Marikina River in beakers. The 5

treatments that has different optimum dosage according to the concentration percentage

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

of the mixtures of Moringa oleifera seed powder (M) and Water hyacinth powder (W)

shown in Table 1. The different concentrations to know which treatment aims the best

result according to its pH level and Turbidity Units.

Table 2. Operational coagulant doses in Beakers

Sample collection, preparation and set-up

Water from Marikina River was collected in a 7-liter container that is free with

contaminants. The researcher was accompanied by adult for ensuring the safety in

getting the samples. Until usage the container will be stored in a refrigerator. The Moringa

oleifera seed and water hyacinth were processed into a powder form so the researcher

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as
Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity of
Marikina River.

ensures that there’s no moisture would be left out or must be fully dried. The dosages in

milligrams of the Moringa oleifera seed powder and water hyacinth powder was get by

using the calculation of the percentage concentration C= m/250mL as shown in Table 2.

Marikina River water characterization of Turbidity and pH level .

The following materials were used for analysis and characterization are beakers,

vials, turbidimeter or nephelometer, pipette, funnel, filter paper and pH tester. The pH

level and the Nephelometric Turbidity Units of samples from Marikina River or the control

(no coagulant) and experimental set up were characterized using pH tester and

turbidimeter or nephelometer.

MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
as Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity
of Marikina River.

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coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, pH and Turbidity in Water from Selected
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MARIKINA HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE

 Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) seed and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
as Bio-coagulants in Improving the Quality in terms of pH Level and Turbidity
of Marikina River.

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