Poster: Using Moringa Oleifera For Water Treatment In Rural Communities In Souteastern Nigeria

Using Moringa oleifera for Water Treatment in Rural Communities in Southeastern Nigeria Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji, CEO, Rural Africa Water Development Project, Nigeria; Kelly Miller, University at Buffalo

The Nigerian Situation

Introduction The Dakar statement at the first Global WASH Forum underscored the belief that the global Millennium Development Goal target for water and sanitation is achievable through special efforts on water and sanitation in Africa; using Moringa oleifera to purify water is one of the appropriate and inexpensive innovations that will aid these efforts.

•Oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta (part of which is in the southeastern region) have continued to compromise water quality.

•River Water •Raw water samples were collected from a small river at the quarry site at Lokopanta in Umunneochi Council Area of Abia State, Nigeria

•80% of illnesses detected in the southeastern region originated from the water people consumed.

•Ground Water •Raw water samples were collected from a local borehole in Owerri, Imo State Nigeria

•About 70% of the population depended on surface water. •50,000 children under the age of 5 found here died each year from the effects of drinking impure water

FIGURE 2 Percentage of Households Obtaining Water from Sources Defined as “Safe”1 39 71

Urban

80 40 40

North East

77

North West

50

South East

Moringa has great potential to become one of the most economically important tree crops for the tropics and sub-tropics. With all of its many attributes, including its ability to thrive under difficult conditions and the properties which offer nutritious food, clean water, medicine and income, it is surely no exaggeration to call Moringa “the miracle tree”.

•Seed pods are allowed to dry naturally on the tree prior to harvesting. •After shelling, the seeds are crushed and sieved using traditional techniques employed in the production of maize flour (FIGURE 1) •Approximately 50-150mg of ground seed will be needed to treat one liter of river water, depending on the quantity of the crushed seed to form a paste •The crushed seed powder, when added to water, yields water soluble proteins that possess a net positive charge Natural coagulants have been used for centuries in traditional water treatment practices throughout certain areas of the developing world (Sutherland).

34

mg/L

Calcium

0.40

Magnesium

0.25

Sodium

0.02

TDS

5.00

Chlorides

0.30

Sulphate

2.00

Nitrate

Nil

Iron

Nil

pH

6.5 – 7.5

59 69 54

Nigeria

50

1999

Subsaharan Africa

COMPOSITION

39

South West

54

1995

0 0

Background Traditional Method for Preparing Moringa oleifera

TABLE 1 Summary of Allowable Ratios in mg/L in Nigeria2

48

Rural

Source: http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/trade/asiaveg/thes-23.htm

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Open Streams, Rivers, and Ditches •Widespread open defecation •Chemical contamination from industry •Waterborne diseases •Cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, diarrhea and schistosomiasis Water Wells •Incrustation of calcium carbonates, iron manganese hydroxides or bacteria slimes •Waste contamination from leachate plumes gravitated from nearby latrines, sewage or dumpsites •Drilling mud (including polymers) from improperly developed wells •Cuttings from annular space between well screen and formation walls •Organic growth from oxygen intake

Sieving Seeds

Making Seed Paste

Finished Seed Paste

Source: http://www.le.ac.uk/engineering/staff/Sutherland/moringa/pictures/fscale/fscale.htm

•pH

Preparation of Moringa Oleifera Seed Suspension •Dry Moringa oleifera seeds were harvested •The seed wings and coat from selected good quality Moringa oleifera seeds were removed •The kernel was ground to a fine powder using the electric food blender •Two grams of the powder was put in a high speed mixer (ATO MIX MSE) • 200mL distilled water added and blended for 30 seconds to extract the active ingredient •The result suspension was filtered though a muslin cloth •After additional water was added, the filtrate made up to 500ml to give a stock solution of approximately 400mg Moringa per L •The solution had a pH of 6.05 •The stock solution was prepared fresh for use as and when needed, since deterioration sets in if stored for more than two days at room temperature

Experimental Runs •500ml of water was put in a 1 L beaker and the TABLE 3: Dosage Ranges paddle of a Voss flocculator was inserted Dosage Range •The speed of mixing was set at 110 rpm using a Raw Water Turbidity Nephelometric turbidity mg/L portable electronic tachometer (Banair) •The required dosage (TABLE 3) of Moringa was units (NTU) 10 – 50 added, and the mixture was stirred for 2 minutes. < 50 30 – 100 •The hardness, alkalinity, turbidity and pH were 50 – 150 < 150 50-200 measured before and after dosing •Since the flocs formed after each experimental run were light, the product water was filtered before measuring the water quality parameters

•For the river water sample, the pH decreased from 8.0 to a fairly constant value of 6.71 •The pH of the groundwater sample remained constant at 7.21 from an initial pH of 7.1 •The pH for the two water samples were within the recommended standards (WHO, 1984)

•Suspended Solids (SS) •Upon filtration, 98% of suspended solid in the initial water samples became coagulated •Turbidity •Upon filtration, the turbidity of the water samples (especially surface water) was reduced by 80%, leaving a clear, very low turbidity water •The results of dosing Moringa oleifera seed solution at 750 mg/L over a seven hour dosing compares favorably with performance figures for alum dosing at 50 mg/L. Pathogens, Taste and Odor •Bacteria is reduced by 1-4 log units (90-99%) is within the first 1 to 2 hours of treatment •The bacteria is concentrated in the coagulated sediment (Madsen et al, 1981) •Passing the filtrate through activated carbon makes the water more wholesome •Activated carbon adsorbs excessive concentration of taste and odor compounds FIGURE 4: Surface Water in Southeastern Nigeria

TABLE 4: Average Raw Water Characteristics Source of Water

Total Hardness mg/L as CaCO 3 Alkalinity mg/L as CaCO

3

pH

Ca

Mg

Total

River

696.4

320.7

1017

312

8

Groundwater

310

184.5

494.5

328

7.1

References American Public Health Association, American Waterworks Association and Water Pollution Control Federation. 1985. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 16ed. Washington: APHA, AWWA and WPCF. Bazeley, Ben W. 1999. "The Moringa: A Miracle Tree for Developing Countries?" The Rotarian. Feb: 6-7.

Results and Discussion

Bryan, Edward A., George P. Fulton and George C. Budd. 1992. Disinfection Alternatives for Safe Drinking Water. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

FIGURE 3: Softening Water with Moringa oleifera

1200

Dussert, Bertrand W. and Gary R. Van Stone. 1994. The Biological Activated Carbon Process for Water Purification. Water Engineering & Management. Management. 141, 12: 22-24.

1000

Fuglie, L.J. ed. 2001. The Miracle Tree. The Multiple Attributes of Moringa. Dakar: Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA: ACP-EU) and Church World Service.

Source: Upper: http://www.nigeria-consulateatl.org Lower: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/

McConnachie, G.L., A.M. Warhurst, S.J. Pollard. Activated Carbon from Moringa Husks and Pods. UK and V. Chipofya, Malawi. 1996 WEDC Conference.

800 SurfaceWater Groundwater

600

TABLE 2: States in South Eastern Nigeria Number of Local Total Number of % of Households Government Households Using Moringa Authorities

Total Population

Abia

17

422,032

10

2,338,487

Anambra

21

482,444

4

2,221,236

Ebonyi

13

401,568

15

2,119,297

Enugu

17

421,797

9

2,272,600

Imo

27

541,396

3

2,485,338

State

•At high doses of Moringa oleifera, calcium hardness had reduced almost to zero •The hardness remaining was due mainly to magnesium •The observation maybe due to the fact that calcium ions, which have a small hydrate radius, are selectively adsorbed faster than magnesium with a larger hydrate radius (Weber, 1972)

FIGURE 3 Map of Nigerian States

Common Sources of Water Pollution

FIGURE 1 Preparation of Seed Paste using Traditional Maize Flour Production Techniques

Crushing Seeds

•Hardness •The rate of hardness reduction was found to be higher at lower dosages for the river water samples than the groundwater samples (FIGURE 3)

Laboratory Materials: Sources of Water

•Only 60% of the Nigerian population is using improved drinking water sources; 38% uses adequate sanitation facilities (UN, WHO, MICS, & DHS 2002).

Moringa oleifera is the best known of the 13 species belonging to the genus Moingaceae. It is a fast growing, drought-resistant tree that is native to sub-Himalayan tracts of Northern India, but is now distributed worldwide in the tropics and sub-tropics. The press cake obtained as a byproduct of extracting oil from Moringa seeds contains a high level of proteins, approximately 1% of which are active cationic polyelectrolytes that neutralize negatively charged colloids in dirty water. This protein can therefore be used as a nontoxic natural polypeptide for sedimenting mineral particles and organics in the purification of drinking water; industrial coagulants, such as alumina, can be expensive and toxic, their proper use requiring qualified personnel which are not readily found in the majority of developing countries.

Shelling Seeds

Methods

•Nigeria’s population of 126.9 million makes it the most populated country in subSaharan Africa

Source: http://www.wsscc.org/dataweb.cfm?code=516

Water Quality Parameters

Muyibi, Suleyman A. and Lilian M. Evison. 1995. Moringa oleifera Seeds for Softening Hardwater. Water Research. Research. 29, 4:1099-1105.

400

Nathanson, Roger. 2004. You Bring it Up, So Why Not Clean it Up? National Driller. Driller. 25: 3A, 4A. Scholz, M. and Martin R. J. 1997. Ecological Equilibrium on Biological Activated Carbon. Water Research. Research. 31,12: 2959-2968.

200

0 0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Sutherland, J.P., G.K. Folkard, M.A. Mtawali and W.D. Grant. Moringa oleifera as a Natural Coagulant. University of Leicester, UK. 1994 WEDC Conference. “Safe” sources include piped water into households, water from public taps, boreholes, protected wells and other protected sources. However, the lack of water quality data in Nigeria precludes the presumption that all water from these sources is safe. Sources: MICS 1995 [FOS/UNICEF; A-1995]; MICS 1999 [FOS UNICEF; A-2000] 2 2003, NAFDAC (a Nigerian regulatory agency; National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control) 1

Moringa oleifera Dosage mg/L