The Absorption of Heavy Metals in Water Using Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) and Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) Eggshells

Authors

  • Eliset L. Licmuan
  • Jose Guiller H. Balingit
  • Samantha B. Enverga
  • Juan Benedict G. Oriao
  • Kian F. Profogo
  • Angelo Levardo

Keywords:

Water, heavy metals, chicken, duck, eggshells, lead, cadmium, chromium, AAS, ANOVA, PPMCC

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Water pollution has always been a contemporary issue that Filipinos have to face, especially for those who are living near waterways such as estuaries, rivers, and bays. Chemical pollutants such as heavy metals infect bodies of water until they become toxic to us, humans. The purpose of this research is to find a solution to water pollution through an alternative and affordable adsorbent which can be found at home and does not need extra precaution on its application.

METHODS

Different masses (5g, 10g, and 20g) of powdered chicken, duck, and mixture of duck and chicken eggshells were mixed with 25ppmaqueous solution at pH 4 contaminated with lead, cadmium and chromium separately. Each solution with different masses of eggshells was replicated two times for its validity. After the aqueous solution with eggshells was filtered, the analysis on the presence of the toxic heavy metals in filtrate was conducted in Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.

RESULTS

The results of the study were treated using Mean Average, Two-way Analysis of Variance, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. Findings indicate the presence of powdered eggshells in aqueous solution contaminated with heavy metals (Pb,Cd, and Cr) can decrease the heavy metal concentration in the solution. The types of eggshell and the masses do not affect the concentration of the toxic heavy metals left in the aqueous solution. When it comes to the relationship between the concentration of toxic heavy metals in the aqueous solution and the mass of the different types of eggshells, significance depends on the sample used.

DISCUSSIONS

Increasing the mass of eggshells added to the aqueous solution increases the adsorption rate of toxic heavy metals. Mixture of chicken and duck, duck, and chicken eggshells are the most effective in adsorbingPb, Cr and Cd, respectively. When chicken eggshell and duck eggshell is added to Pb, Cr and Cd, and a mixture of chicken and duck eggshells toPbandCd, the amount of heavy metals left in the solution do not vary with the masses of different eggshells used. When chicken and a mixture of chicken and duck eggshells are added to the Cr, the adsorption is dependent on the mass of the eggshells. Further improvements are recommended in the study such as the use of other types of eggshells, test on other types of heavy metals and develop an eggshell-based filter.

Published

2019-01-18