Development of low cost filter using herbal technique

Abstract

It is well known fact that clean water is absolutely essential for healthy living. Adequate supply of fresh and clean drinking water is a basic need for all human beings on the earth, yet it has been observed that millions of people world wise are deprived of this. Clean water use being a prime concern in many communities of developing countries. Contaminated water plays significant role in taking numerous lives in these localities, for which a number of efforts are being made for accessing safe purified drinking water. Fortunately, efficient and cheap water purification systems are being utilized and being tried to be accessed worldwide for easy access to clean water. In the following project we had tried to develop a “Low Cost Water Purification Technique” using the basic ideas of bottle filter, some locally Herbal available filter material like Tulsi leaves powder, Neem leaves powder, Rice Husk, Sugarcane bagasse, fine graded sand and tries to improve the methodology using the UV Filter, RO Filter, and Activated Carbon Filter mechanism. Main focus was removal of iron from surface water by adsorption technique. Among all the herbal material used, the ash produce from rice husk was proved to give the best result in removal of iron and also available in local area having the cheapest material cost. Locally collected Sugarcane cane bagasse and neem leaves powder mixed with calcium hydroxide (chuna) was prepared which also proved to be effective for removal of iron.