Powdered Egg Shell Tablets as Waste Acid Neutralizer

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Cleaning is a very important task of removing anything that might cause contamination and disease to spread out. It is an important part of our daily lives. Cleaning is done everywhere, in homes, in schools, hospitals, and every institution. Since it is important, many things were developed to maintain cleanliness, tools, devices and solutions, which provide total disinfection-to clean especially using substances that kill germs and other disease-causing microbes.These chemical substances contain acids that can cause jarring. Cleaning solution found at home, schools and hospitals have acids. Because of the jarring effects of these acidic chemicals, even after it was diluted, many animals and plants are still affected. When these acidic solutions are washed through the sinks, comfort rooms, canals and sewers where many animals are drinking or being exposed,they eventually suffer tremendous injuries that can fatally kill them.

METHODS

The study utilized Completely Randomized Design or CRD. It was consisted of three treatments replicated three times. Eggshells were collected from the school canteen, cleaned,dried and powdered using the conventional method of mortar and pestle. It was then measured and mixed with commercial flour as binder and molded into tablets. Its capacity to neutralize acids was then tested by applying it into the most common acids used at home-sulfuric acid, muriatic acid and oxalic acid. The pH of the acids was taken before and after application.

RESULTS

PEST worked well in oxalic acid with an acid level of 4.14 before the application and turned the pH level to 6.57 with a mean difference of 2.44. However, it failed to neutralize the acidity of the oxalic acid. In sulfuric acid, after the application of PEST, it has a pH level of 6.97 and a mean increase of 1.61. Still, the Sulfuric Acid is nearly neutralized.On the other hand, muriatic acid before the PEST application has an acid level of 6.55 and 7.67 after the application. It has a mean difference of only 1.71; however, it successfully turned the acid to base level.

DISCUSSIONS

Results showed that PEST as acid neutralizer has the capacity to neutralize waste acids.Result implies that PEST is capable of neutralizing the acidity of Diluted battery solution, Diluted muriatic and Diluted oxalic solution.