HARVESTING POTABLE AND STORABLE WATER WITH MORINGA SEEDS AND SAND
Impact/Purpose:
The research involves two objectives: 1) We will optimize our treatment process in the laboratory, using experiments to assess the amount of seed required, the mixing type and time, and required alternatives for local conditions. 2) We will design, build and implement the process. We will work in collaboration with the EPA and Department of Health in Puerto Rico to incorporate our water purification process into certain communities where clean water is not available. Students working on this project will be enrolled in our Penn State CE 497D course.
Description:
We propose to design and implement a point-of-use process for water purification and storage in developing nations. Our research innovates on an existing technique for purifying water with seeds from the Moringa oleifera (Moringa) tree. Mixing water with crushed Moringa seeds clarifies and disinfects water; however, a critical challenge exists: Crushed Moringa seed leaves proteins and organics in water that bacteria use for food, and so the purified water cannot be stored. Therefore, the purification must be done daily, which is difficult and often not done.
Record Details:
Record Type:PROJECT(
ABSTRACT
)
Start Date:08/15/2010
Completion Date:08/14/2011
Record ID:
249230
Keywords:
POTABLE WATER, AVAILABILITY, ACCESS, LOW ENERGY USE, WATER MANAGEMENT, DRINKING WATER, WATER PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES, DRINKING WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES, PATHOGEN REMOVAL, LAND USE, HOLISTIC DESIGN,
Related Organizations:
Role
:OWNER
Organization Name
:PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Mailing Address
:201 Old Main
Citation
:University Park
State
:PA
Zip Code
:16802
Project Information:
Approach
:Our technical approach is simple: To treat 20 liters/day of water requires only a bucket, ordinary sand, and seeds from the Moringa oleifera (Moringa) tree – which often exists already in targeted locations. By a) coating the protein onto sand, b) allowing the sand to mix with water, and c) letting the coated sand settle out, we clarify and disinfect the water without leaving dissolved organics. The sand is then ready for re-use. The impact on PEOPLE will be to free them from daily water purification – or diarrhea – giving more time to build PROSPERITY. Since Moringa seed degrades naturally, and the spent sand is easily regenerated in sunlight, not only is no footprint left, but the additional Moringa trees improve the PLANET and provide a source of prosperity. Therefore, the process is locally viable, culturally acceptable, and fully sustainable.
Cost
:$10,000.00
Research Component
:Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development
Approach
:Our technical approach is simple: To treat 20 liters/day of water requires only a bucket, ordinary sand, and seeds from the Moringa oleifera (Moringa) tree – which often exists already in targeted locations. By a) coating the protein onto sand, b) allowing the sand to mix with water, and c) letting the coated sand settle out, we clarify and disinfect the water without leaving dissolved organics. The sand is then ready for re-use. The impact on PEOPLE will be to free them from daily water purification – or diarrhea – giving more time to build PROSPERITY. Since Moringa seed degrades naturally, and the spent sand is easily regenerated in sunlight, not only is no footprint left, but the additional Moringa trees improve the PLANET and provide a source of prosperity. Therefore, the process is locally viable, culturally acceptable, and fully sustainable.
Cost
:$10,000.00
Research Component
:P3 Challenge Area - Agriculture
Approach
:Our technical approach is simple: To treat 20 liters/day of water requires only a bucket, ordinary sand, and seeds from the Moringa oleifera (Moringa) tree – which often exists already in targeted locations. By a) coating the protein onto sand, b) allowing the sand to mix with water, and c) letting the coated sand settle out, we clarify and disinfect the water without leaving dissolved organics. The sand is then ready for re-use. The impact on PEOPLE will be to free them from daily water purification – or diarrhea – giving more time to build PROSPERITY. Since Moringa seed degrades naturally, and the spent sand is easily regenerated in sunlight, not only is no footprint left, but the additional Moringa trees improve the PLANET and provide a source of prosperity. Therefore, the process is locally viable, culturally acceptable, and fully sustainable.
Cost
:$10,000.00
Research Component
:P3 Challenge Area - Water
Project IDs:
ID Code
:SU834740
Project type
:EPA Grant