This study is a contribution to the development of  low cost, low tech solutions for treatment (removal of metals) of drinking water for small families.  We have used orange peels because they are widely available as waste material in homes at no cost.  The treatment method does not employ any electrical or mechanical devices.  In the present work, orange peels were collected after eating the fruit, dried and powdered before placing about 2g of the powder in tea bags.  The tea bags were placed in sample water containing known concentration of Pb and Cd (1-10ppm). Solutions samples were drawn periodically and were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. We find substantial metal ion removal efficiency in 2-5 minutes. We have examined the effect of mass of adsorbent, concentration of metals, time and pH among other things. We examined the adsorption data with Langmuir or Freundlich adsorption isotherms, though mechanism is not clear.  These results are especially encouraging as orange peels are readily available for the most part of the world.

Use of tea bags containing orange peel for removal of toxic metals from drinking water

245th National Meeting (2013)

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