Effervescent Water Coagulant from Citrofortunella Microcarpa Scraps for Water Treatment

• Main Authors: Cabrera, Alyanna Hazel Y., Duyan, Annika Jeuel Q., Pinpin, Christiana Marie P., Ang, Kyrille Justine T.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: water treatment; bath bomb; calamansi; coagulation; adsorption
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2021/paper_see/15; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1673/viewcontent/SEE__Effervescent_Water_Coagulant_from_Scraps.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

As the Philippines experiences increasing alerts in water pollution, this study aims to create a Calamansi-based effervescent water coagulant to increase the accessibility of purified water to Filipinos. The study makes use of Citrofortunella microcarpa (Calamansi), a small citrus fruit abundant in the Philippines. Calamansi has a big contribution in the production of agricultural waste as the fruit is mainly utilized for its pulp; therefore, the researchers focused on the usage of Calamansi’s peels and seeds, given their ability to absorb minute particles and to kill bacteria. Disposed Calamansi scraps were powderized and mixed with other components to form an eco-friendly effervescent water coagulant. The researchers assessed the efficacy of the Calamansi coagulant by comparing it to Ferric chloride (FeCl3), an existing chemical water coagulant, and testing ten trials of each sample in a contaminated soil-water mixture. The group’s findings suggest that the effervescent Calamansi coagulant presented a higher efficacy in water treatment than FeCl3, with its pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and salinity readings all within the standard range. The Calamansi coagulant accumulated more residue than the FeCl3 sample. The study demonstrates that Calamansi seed and peel waste offer a great alternative to chemical-based coagulants in water treatment.