Although few studies have examined the removal of lead from contaminated water using dry biomass of tea leaves and coffee ground, the lead concentration in those studies range from 10-200 PPM of aqueous lead solution.  This study compared the effectiveness of aqueous extracts of spinach puree and a variety of brewed coffee and tea in removing lead from 1300 PPM of aqueous lead solution. After 24 hr of agitation at room temperature followed by centrifugation, the lead concentration (in PPM) remaining in the liquid centrifugate from each reaction vessel was analyzed using EPA Method 6010 (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)).  The results suggest that the order of lead removal was Spinach (99%) > Instant coffee (90%) >Tea (81%). Thus, Spinach extract was more efficient in lead removal from lead contaminated water than coffee or tea.

Comparative study of lead removal from lead contaminated water by aqueous extracts of spinach, coffee, and tea

245th National Meeting (2013)

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