WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER

PURIFICATION USING ALOE VERA GEL

AND CITRUS PEELS

GARCIA, ORLANDO HARRISON

LUMAPAS, JAYVHINE MAE
SARAUSA, LOUISE MIGUEL
ZAPICO, LEE NORMAN ELMER

A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF CENTRAL

MINDANAO UNIVERSITY LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL,
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE COURSE

SCIENCE RESEARCH 4

MAY 2023
 ii

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Zapico, Lee Norman Elmer A.

Grade: 11- Euclid

Research Title: WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER

PURIFICATION USING ALOE VERA GEL AND CITRUS PEELS

Personal Data: Born on November 12,2005, in Batangas City. The third child of

Mr.Elmer H. Zapico and Mrs.Norma A. Zapico. Currently residing at P-1,

Poblacion, Kadingilan, Bukidnon

Education:

Primary: San-Isidro Elementary School, P-2, Poblacion, Kadingilan, Bukidnon,

Academic year: 2010-2013

Kadingilan Central Elementary School, P-4, Poblacion, Kadingilan, Bukidnon,

Academic year: 2013-2018

Secondary: Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School, University

town, Musuan, Bukidnon, Academic year: 2018-2023

Curricular and Extracurricular Achievements:

Seminar Attended: 2021 Gender Sensitivity Training

 iii

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Lumapas, Jayvhine Mae

Grade: 11- Euclid

Research Title: WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER

PURIFICATION USING ALOE VERA GEL AND CITRUS PEELS

Personal Data: Born on August 10 2005, in Salawagan, Quezon . The only child of

Mr. Romeo A. Lumapas and Mrs. Hyde D. Lumapas. Currently residing at Prk.

Maligaya, Salawagan, Quezon, Bukidnon

Education: Salawagan Central Elementary School, Barangay Salawagan,

Quezon,Bukidnon Academic Year: 2012-2014

Quezon Baptist Christian School, Balangay 5, Quezon, Bukidnon Academic Year:

2014-2018

Secondary: Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School, University

town, Musuan, Bukidnon, Academic year: 2018-2023

Curricular and Extracurricular Achievements:

Seminar Attended: 2021 Gender Seminar Training

 iv

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Sarausa, Louise Miguel S.

Grade: 11-Euclid

Research Title: WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER

PURIFICATION USING ALOE VERA GEL AND CITRUS PEELS

Personal Data: Born on January 10 2006, in Kibawe. Second child of Mr. Danilo C.

Sarausa and Ms. Aeresme S. Sarausa. Currently residing in B10 L26 Grand

Medows, Batangan, Valencia City, Bukidnon

Education:

Primary: School of the Morning Star, Syre Highway, Valencia City, Bukidnon,

Academic Year 2011-2013

Valencia City Central School, Syre Highway, Valencia City, Bukidnon, Academic

Year 2013-2014

Faith Christian School, Cajes ST, Academic Year 2014-2015

School of the Morning Star, Syre Highway, Valencia City Bukidnon, Academic Year

2015-2018

Secondary: Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School, University

town, Musuan, Bukidnon, Academic year: 2018-2023

Curricular and Extracurricular Achievements:,

Seminar Attended: 2021 Gender Seminar Training

v
 vi

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Garcia, Orlando Harrison H.

Grade: 11 euclid

Research Title:WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER

PURIFICATION USING ALOE VERA GEL AND CITRUS PEELS

Personal Data: Born on october 18, 2005, in Adventist Medical Center Valencia

City Bukidnon. Third child of Mr. Oliver Owen L. Garcia, and Mrs. Haidee Helena

H. Garcia. Currently living in p-13 faculty hills, CENTRAL MINDANAO

UNIVERSITY.

Education:

Primary: School of the Morning Star, Syre Highway, Valencia City, Bukidnon,

Academic Year 2011-2016

Secondary: Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School, University

town, Musuan, Bukidnon, Academic year: 2018-2023

Curricular and Extracurricular Achievements:

Seminar Attended: 2021 Gender Seminar Training

 vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to extend their deepest appreciation to the following

individuals who have been of help to them by sharing their time and knowledge,

and had been a guide before, during, and after the course of the study. Above all,

they thank and praise the Lord God Almighty for providing them with the

knowledge, wisdom, strength, and guidance they required throughout the

duration of this research. Sir Sherwin M. Cupida, their science research adviser,

for being the light that guided them through the process of conducting our

research and for providing suggestions, comments, and patience that helped and

inspired them in carrying out their research. Dr. Joemar B. Capuyan, principal of

their school, for his unending support during the study's conduct.To their Science

Research IV, sir. Vanie Y Benben, for the assistance he provided in their research

paper and for making additional suggestions.To their science research panelists,

who evaluated and recommended the research paper and its content. To their

beloved teachers, who provided new knowledge and guidance in carrying out this

research. The researchers are eternally grateful. May God continue to bless you

all, and may you continue to be a blessing to others.

viii

Lee Norman Elmer A. Zapico

Louise Miguel Sarausa

Jayvhine Mae Lumapas

Orlando Harrison Garcia

 ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE i
CURRICULUM VITAE ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF TABLES ix
LIST OF FIGURES x
ABSTRACT xi
INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the study 1
Objective of the study 5
Hypothesis of the study 5
Significance of the study 6
Scope and limitation of the study 7
Operational definition of terms 7
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 8
METHODOLOGY 17
Research design 17
Locale of the study 18
Material 19
Experimental setup 21
Data gathering 21
Statistical analysis 22
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 23
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 27
REFERENCES 29
 x

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

4.1 Bacterial content of water (results and 19

standard)

4.2 Conductivity of water (results and standard) 20

 xi

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure Page

3.1 P-13 Faculty hills, CMU 13

3.2 Juanilla, Valencia City 13

3.3 Prototype water filter 15

 xii

ABSTRACT

WATER FILTRATION DEVICE PROTOTYPE FOR WATER PURIFICATION USING

ALOE VERA GEL AND CITRUS PEELS by Garcia, Orlando Harrison, Lumapas,
Jayvhine Mae, Sarausa, Louis Miguel and Zapico, Lee Norman Elmer, Grade 11-
Euclid, Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School, Musuan, Bukidnon,
May 2023.

Research Adviser: Sherwin M. Cupida

Water is essential for human life and our day-to-day activities. Its existence
provided us with many benefits for the thousand years of our existence. However,
everyone is experiencing a lack of clean water daily, and our sources are
gradually getting scarce. In this study, the researchers used the most known
filtration system with aloe vera gel and citrus peels (orange peels) . Aloe vera
plant offers a sustainable solution for the removal of various pollutants from
water. There were 3 treatments used on the tainted water. The were three
treatment as follows T0: tainted water, T1: 50 g of aloe vera and 50 g of
powdered citrus peels,T2: 50 g of aloe vera and 100 grams of powdered citrus
peels, T3: 50 grams of aloe vera and 150 grams of powdered citrus peels pH
level and bacterial content were used to measure the effectiveness of the water
purification device used. A comparative study was applied to compare the treated
water to the untreated water collected . The results showed that the treated
water bacterial content had risen. This study was conducted for 2 months with
the remaining time to write and finalize the papers.

Keywords: water, aloe vera gel, citrus peels, water turbidity, pH level, bacterial
content , purification.
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Water is essential for human life and our day-to-day activities. Its existence

provided us with many benefits for the thousand years of our existence. However,

everyone is experiencing a lack of clean water daily, and our sources are gradually

getting scarce. Deteriorating water quality, water scarcity is considered one of the

most important threats to society and a constraint to sustainable development (Chen, et

al 2016). Limited water sources can affect countries that had barely funds to start

water cleaning facilities or lack natural clean water sources that are deep wells or

underground river systems. The lack of clean water was either because of industrial

and human waste, lack of proper maintenance, or government corruption.

Water pollution and contamination happen every time whether it's from a normal

wind blowing or even rain, microplastics and harmful microorganisms can be mixed

with a clean and unpolluted water source. The Philippines had been experiencing

flooding and the one who was affected by the natural disasters, areas who had been

affected will be cut off from the clean water supply. Because of these disasters, many

people in our country are experiencing a shortage of clean water. That's why we've

used aloe vera gel and citrus (orange peels) as the main ingredients for our water

purification study. Aloe vera gel is known as a

 2

wonder plant that is used for antibacterial and antimicrobial (Minwuyelet, Moges

& Gashe, 2017), and this plant was shown to exhibit water purification properties

(Arjunan et al., 2012), and citrus peels (orange peels) is naturally occurring

antioxidants and antibacterial (Gou, Shan, Yang, et al., 2020). Thus, we are doing this

research for the benefit of the people who need it and for additional knowledge about

another process for purification method.

The Aloe vera plant has been known and used for centuries for its health, beauty,

medicinal and skin care properties. The name Aloe vera derives from the Arabic word

“Alloeh” meaning “shining bitter substance,” while “vera” in Latin means

“true.”(Surjushe,Vasani, & Saple, 2008). In filtration and purification, Aloe vera plant

offers a sustainable solution for the removal of various pollutants from water.

Due to its chemical composition, Aloe vera has been explored as

coagulant/flocculant and biosorbent for water treatment (Katubi, Amari, &

Harharah et.al., 2021). In medicine, Aloe gel also contains polysaccharides,

proteins, lipids, sugars, minerals, phenolic compounds, glucomannan and

acemannan. Its composition accelerates wound healing, activating macrophages,

stimulating immune system as well antibacterial and antiviral effects. Acemannan

is effect as indirect anti-microbial activity through its ability and stimulate

phagocytic leukocytes. Such types, it has more antimicrobial value like medicines.

The aim of this study are evaluating antimicrobial activity of aloe vera gel such as

antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity to which solve human problems in

life (Kumar, Jakhar, & Singh, 2017).

 3

Citrus fruits belong to the family Rutaceae that are grown all over the world

and have numerous therapeutic properties like anticancer, anti-tumor and anti-

inflammatory. These properties are due to the phyto-vitamins and nutrients

present in the citrus fruits and it also have an important role in herbal medicine

(Sanofer, 2014). Antioxidants are molecules that can slow down or prevent

oxidation of other molecules in vivo. There are several types of antioxidants

which naturally occur inside the human body, or what can be obtained by

consuming food and other drugs. Citrus (orange, lemon, pomegranate, citrus, etc.)

contains a group of vitamins (C and E), which are the most powerful antioxidants

used to kill underdeveloped bacteria (Jawad, Salman, & Hussein, 2020). In

medicine, citrus fruits are the natural resources in developing new drugs. The

antibacterial activity of natural products from medicinal plants are applicable for

the treatment of bacterial, fungal and viral disease and these are recent technical

advancements taken place in this area. The genus Citrus has a number of species

and hybrids that are well established for their pharmaceutical and economic

importance (Afroja, Falgunee, Jahan, et.al., 2017).

In Purification, there is a continuing need for the development of effective,

cheap and environmentally friendly processes for the disinfection and

degradation of organic pollutants from water (Malik, Ghaffar, & Malik, 2001).

One of the major challenges for many Mediterranean and other countries is

finding viable solutions to tackle water shortage. Some of the major water quality

constraints derive from the high salinity of groundwater and from pollution
 4

sources such as: untreated domestic sewage, fertilizers and pesticides from

irrigation drainage, industrial effluents, and solid waste disposal. Wastewater

treatment processes involving physico-chemical and biological treatment,

chemical oxidation, membrane technologies, along with methods of solids

concentration and disposal are of special relevance in dealing with these

problems (Coca-Prados, & Gutiérrez-Cervelló 2010). Meeting the Needs of

Developed and Developing Countries provides a variety of approaches to water

purification that can help assist readers with their research and applications.

Water contamination problems occur frequently worldwide, hence the most

updated knowledge on water purification systems can be helpful in employing

the right type of filter or other mechanism of decontamination ( Ahuja, 2018).

 5

Objectives of the Study

This study investigated the water-purifying potential of aloe vera gel and citrus

using the prototype of water filtration. Specifically, the study aims to:

1.) Determine the physicochemical properties of the produced purified water using the

prototype water filtration device according to its:

a. turbidity

b. pH level

2.) Compare the physicochemical properties of the produced purified water with

commercially purified water.

The Hypothesis of the Study

H0: There is no significant difference between the physicochemical properties of water

from the purified water using aloe vera gel and citrus peels and from commercially-

purified water.

Ha: There is a significant difference between the physicochemical properties of water

from the purified water using aloe vera gel and citrus peels and from commercially-

purified water.
 6

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study could be advantageous to everyone, especially because

people need clean, drinkable water that's needed by many countries. Additionally, this

research could provide additional information and knowledge about another process of

purification. The new process of purification could be used as a substitute for the

purification process today, especially the people who are not supported by the

government and need to travel a few kilometers just to have a few buckets of clean

water.

For the community, using this process of purification can give convenience to the

people who need it.

For the people, by gaining this process, people can clean their water source (if

there is one) that is tainted and cannot be used for their convenience. For the

researchers, we can obtain new ways of water purification by using aloe vera gel and

citrus peels. And by doing so we can learn about what components that aloe vera gel

and citrus peels have that can purify tainted water.

 7

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study utilized tainted water from a river which will be obtained from the

Pulangi River and its bacterial content that was available in the sample. Water

purification was chosen because it is the most common resource to do. This study will

only use Pulangi River water and it can provide us with knowledge of the water

purification process. However, there will be limitations due to the lack of knowledge

but improvised alternatives shall be observed such as using evaporation of the product

for safety.

Operational Definition of Terms

Aloe vera is a cactus-like plant that grows in hot, dry climates. This includes their

properties such as coagulant/flocculant and adsorbent for water treatment.

Citrus is widely cultivated in warm countries for its fruit, which has juicy flesh and a

pulpy rind. Orange peels, which are lignocellulosic biomass-rich materials, have

sparked new avenues for the development of environmentally friendly, economically

viable, and long-lasting adsorbents for water treatment.

 8

Filtration is the process in which solid particles in a liquid or gaseous fluid are

removed by the use of a filter medium that permits the fluid to pass through but retains

the solid particles. This includes the removal of nanoparticle silver in the water.

Cotton cloth and flexible polyurethane foam are low-cost relatives to alternate water

filtration techniques.

Water Purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological

contaminants, suspended solids, and gasses from water. It is the process of cleaning

and making something pure and getting rid of impurities.

 9

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera plant offers a sustainable solution for the removal of various pollutants

from water. Due to its chemical composition, aloe vera has been explored as a

coagulant/flocculant and biosorbent for water treatment (Katubi et al., 2021). Several

beneficial effects of Aloe vera have been reported, including immunomodulatory,

wound and burn healing, hypoglycemic, anticancer, gastro-protective, antifungal, and

anti-inflammatory properties (Maan et al., 2018). The medicinal value of the plant has

been recognized for centuries because of the gel-like pulp obtained by peeling its

leaves. So, there is a burning need to educate about the importance of Aloe vera for the

human race and popularize it for greater interest (Nandal & Bhardwaj, 2012).
 10

Citrus peels (Orange peels)

Agricultural waste peels (orange peels) have been recognized as an ecological

burden for society. However, waste peels including orange peels as lignocellulosic

biomass-rich materials, have stimulated new gateways for the production of

renewable, low cost and sustainable adsorbents for water treatment applications

(Bhatnagar et al., 2015).

Water Purification

There are several water purification techniques but adsorption is one of the

simplest, most effective, and economical methods for wastewater purification. In this

article a large number of solid adsorbents such as natural adsorbents, agricultural

wastes, industrial wastes, biomass, nano adsorbents: carbon-based nanomaterials,

noble metal-based nanomaterials, metal oxide-based nanomaterials, spinel ferrite-

based nanomaterials, nanocomposites, dendritic

 11

polymers; geopolymer cement have been discussed for the removal of different

pollutants from wastewater. Removal of fluoride, phosphate, nitrate, and radionuclides

from wastewater has also been reviewed in this article. Efforts have been made to

discuss the sources of contamination and toxicities of pollutants. Adsorption

mechanisms responsible for pollutant removal by different adsorbents have been

reviewed. Attempts have also been made to point out the advantages and drawbacks of

adsorbents and the future research needs in the area of water purification by

adsorbents (Singh et al., 2018).

Water filtration

Water sources such as lakes, rivers, and groundwater supply much of the water for

domestic use. Some of the water that reaches our household faucets has also been used for

other purposes. Water from these various sources is treated to remove impurities and to make

it suitable for human consumption (Jacobsen, 2004). As the world's population expands, the

need for water is becoming more apparent. Statistics show that freshwater resources are

depleting, causing engineers to think of new ways to create potable water (Gordon, 2013)
 12

Anti-bacterial

The ethanol, methanol, and acetone extracts of Aloe vera gel were studied for

their antimicrobial activity against four Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

using the agar well diffusion method. The extracts showed varied levels of

antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens. The ethanol and methanol extracts

showed higher activity while the acetone extract showed the least or no activity

against most of the tested pathogens. Fractions obtained from the extracts by Thin

Layer and Column Chromatography were studied for their antagonistic properties

using Spot Assay Technique. Compounds with maximum antibacterial activity

isolated from the ethanol and methanol extracts were identified as p - coumaric acid

(Mol. wt. 165), ascorbic acid (Mol. wt. 177), pyrocatechol (Mol. wt. 110), and

cinnamic acid (Mol. wt. 148), based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The

study suggests the antimicrobial activity of the A. vera gel extract to be dependent on

the synergistic effect of different compounds. With the broad spectral antimicrobial

effect of aloe vera gel, it could be further recommended in the treatment of various

bacterial diseases.
 13

Turbidity

The turbidity of water due to the presence of suspended sediment is measured and

interpreted in a variety of ways, which can lead to the misinterpretation of data. This

paper re-examines the physics of light scattering in water and exposes the extent to

which the reporting of turbidity data is inconsistent (Kitchener et al., 2017). The

performance of different machine learning models was found to be close to each other

and showed similar patterns considering the accuracy and uncertainty of the forecasts.

The results revealed that flow discharge influenced the water salinity and turbidity of

the bay in which the models including the river flow as input variables had better

performance compared with those excluding the flow time series. Among the water

quality parameters investigated in this research, river flow made the most and least

improvement in the efficiency of the models applied for forecasting turbidity and

water temperature, respectively (Alizadeh et al.,2018).

 14

pH Level

We all know what water is, and we often take it for granted. Because it seems so

natural, we seldom question how we see water. But the spectre0 of a worldwide water

crisis suggests that there might be something fundamentally wrong with the way we

think about water (Linton 2010). Water is needed to be safe too for drinking access,

because too low of a pH can result in increased micronutrient availability that can lead

to phytotoxic responses in some plant species. For example, a low pH in conjunction

with excessive levels of iron and manganese can result in iron and/or manganese

toxicity in celosia, geraniums, and marigolds (Bailey et al., 2000). pH level is a

measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0-14, with 7 being

neutral. pH level of less than 7 indicates acidity, whereas pH level of greater than

7 indicates a base and this data are WHO guidelines for drinking water (Islam,

Faysal, Amin, et.al., 2017).

Conductivity

The electrical conductivity of water is used in many industries as an indication of

the purity of the water. The method is based on the measurement of the resistance of a

column of water of accurately known dimensions. There is an electrode polarization

effect and the convention is to extrapolate the conductivity as a function of inverse

frequency to find the value at zero inverse frequency. The temperature coefficient of

the conductivity is 2% per Kelvin at 25°C and this limits the uncertainty of the

measurement to about ±0.14 % of value in the present system.

 15

Bacteria

Bacterial systematics has not yet reached a consensus for defining the

fundamental unit of biological diversity, the species. The past half-century of bacterial

systematics has been characterized by improvements in methods for demarcating

species as phenotypic and genetic clusters, but species demarcation has not been

guided by a theory-based concept of species(Cohan 2002). A better understanding of

bacterial preferences may suggest new ways to modulate the expression of virulence

factors and therefore decrease the reliance on antibiotics to fight infection (Galperin

2018).
 16

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Aloe Vera gel and

Orange/Citrus peel
combinations/mixture
● T1: 50 g of aloe vera and Physico-chemical
50 g of powdered citrus Properties of Purified
peels Water:
● T2: 50 g of aloe vera  turbidity
and 100 grams of  pH level
powdered citrus peels  bacterial content
● T3: 50 grams of aloe
vera and 150 grams of
powdered citrus peels
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Our study is of a quantitative and experimental design, which mainly focuses on

the purification of the water from aloe vera gel and citrus, which would be the

observed method for the data collection. Quantitative research deals with quantifying

and analyzing variables to get results. It involved the utilization and analysis of

numerical data using specific statistical techniques to answer questions like who, how

much, what, where, when, how many, and how (Apuke, 2017). Experimental research

design is a method of investigation that is done in a scientific and controlled manner to

optimize accuracy and reach particular conclusions concerning a hypothesis statement.

Its general goal is to figure out the independent variable's effect on the dependent

variable. Therefore, this study is quantitative since it will be dealing with numerical

data and specific statistical techniques. In addition, it is also experimental where the

effects of the independent variable, Aloe vera gel, and citrus peels, on the dependent

variables, is the tainted water from the river.

 18

Locale of the study

This study would be conducted at Juanilla, Valencia City, Bukidnon, and P-13,

Figure 3.1. Juanilla, Valencia City

Faculty Hills, Central Mindanao University, Maramag, Bukidnon.

,Figure 3.2. P-13 Faculty hills, CMU

 19

Materials

In this study the materials used are sand for the filtration, rocks to remove the

large particle included in the wastewater, activated charcoal for bacterial removal, aloe

vera gel (crushed) main material for purification, citrus peel (powdered) also a main

material for purification, the strainer is a barrier for materials so that it won't mix, and

a ceramic water filter will filter all the components of the water that is visible in the

eye and for the purified water to be clear in the naked eye. All of these materials were

used in the process of making the prototype water filtration device and the researchers

produced water.

Prototype (Creation)

For making the prototype, the researchers acquired plastic bottles, nails,

wood, nylon, hooks, and metal net (screen). First they cut the water bottles in

halves and used the upper portion for the prototype. Next, they've used the wood

and nails to create a foundation, Using a flat square plywood for the base and

three 2x2 wood to make a triangular pillar to hold the prototype in place. After

making the foundation, the researchers inserted the hooks in the pillars and tied

nylons to the plastic bottles for it to hang in the middle. Lastly, using the metal

net (screen) as a barrier of the materials used in the purification process so it

would not mix.

 20

Figure 3.3. Prototype water filter

A.) - Plastic bottle

B.) - Silica sand
C.) - pebbles (7.5cm height)
D.) - Aloe vera gel (50g)
E.) - Citrus peel (50g, 100g, 150g)
F.) - Powder activated charcoal
G.) - Ceramic water filter
 21

Experimental Setup and Research Treatment

As for this study, it should be an experiment and so researchers would use aloe

vera and citrus for this water purifying study this study would have 4 treatments (T0,

T1, T2, and T3) which

Would be replicated 3 times. T0 will serve as the control which would not undergo any

purification process, Negative control for clean or purified water, and positive control

for tainted water. The process would be measured by how much gel and peels would

be added.

T0: water/river water

T1: 50 grams of aloe vera and 50 grams of powdered citrus peels T2: 50 grams of aloe

vera and 100 grams of powdered citrus peels T3: 50 grams of aloe vera and 150 grams

of powdered citrus peels

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers traveled to the Pulangi River and collected samples on the

shoreline during fair weather. Water obtained is sealed in a clean water container and

stored in a cool container so the bacterial content will be the same even after traveling

to the research site. The oranges were bought in a roadside stall and the other materials

like the ceramic water filter, activated charcoal, silica sand, and pH paper were bought

online using shopee and lazada respectively. The sand and pebbles are put in the

prototype, the aloe vera and orange peels in the second prototype, while the charcoal
 22

and the ceramic water filter are put in the third prototype. The pH level is obtained

using pH paper and the bacterial content is measured by laboratory process.

Statistical Analysis

In addition to enumeration, we also used comparative analysis to assess similarities and

differences between variables. This included applying the kruskal-Wallis test to compare the

groups and identify any significant differences in their outcome. By utilizing these statistical

method, By utilizing these statistical methods, We were able to obtain the data needed and

gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between variables in the sample

or population
 23

Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As we undergo the first conduct to determine the expected outcomes, the filter did

not purify the tested water. Even using the same method from the previous study, the

filter still did not work. The possible reasons might be from the filter structure itself,

the aloe vera and the charcoal turned the water darker making it more difficult to filter,

and the aloe vera gel made the filtration more difficult to process because it blocks the

passage of the water through the ceramic water filter device. The same result happened

in the other treatments, in the first treatment the water turned black also in the second

treatment, the last treatment turned the water into darkish green. This is the result of

the method we followed although some studies use the same method, the method

might not have been suitable for this study.

The ceramic water filtration device failed to purify the contaminated water. The

purified water still contained impurities, including charcoal particles and citrus

particles. We observed that the flow rate was slow, and the device clogged quickly,

reducing the filtration efficiency. The test results showed that the device was

ineffective in removing impurities from the contaminated water.

There are a few studies that did the same method and as we observed in the

experiment, we noticed that aloe vera and charcoal helped purify the water. Same in

the other treatments, the two solutions might be the cause of the failed outcomes. The

study of Bhatnagar, A. (2015) is one of the previous studies that followed the same

method of purifying the water, and the study of (Yusuf, Adio-Yusuf, & Obalowu,
 24

2019) also did a water filtration prototype with the same idea as the researchers

but only used sand and pebbles for filtration.This may be the reason why the

researchers didn't achieve good results, the researchers did both tasks that are

difficult to achieve in a homemade prototype. It may have a different result if the

researchers only had one main goal( filter or purify) rather than having them

both.

pH level

The results of experiments, The measurements of pH level of each treatment, is

shown below.

Treatment pH level Standard results

T0 6 7

T1 6 7

T2 5 7

T3 5 7

Table 1: pH level of water ( results and standard results)

pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14,

with 7 being neutral. pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater

than 7 indicates a base. pH is a measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen

and hydroxyl ions in the water. As shown in Table 2, the results given were lower

than 7 and were not acceptable by human consumption given that our results
 25

have higher acidity than average water. The data acquired to the purification is

that (T0) and (T1) had the same pH level but (T2) and (T3) has become more

acidic due to having more citrus resulting in lower pH level,but this data is

measured using only pH paper.

Bacterial content

The results of experiments, The measurements of bacterial content of each

treatment, is shown below.

Table 2: Bacterial content of water (results and standard results)

Treatment Bacterial content Standard results

T0 396 < 500

T1 3,900 < 500

Bacterial content is a measure of how much bacteria is present in a sample.

The range should not be more than 500 and exceeding that is bad for

consumption. As shown in Table 3, the results in the researcher's prototype have

exceeded the limit of bacterial content only water can take for it to be acceptable

for human consumption. At (T0) the bacterial content was only 396 which is still

safe because less than 500 bacterial content is safe for human consumption, but

(T1) increased the bacterial content 10x of (T0) causing it to be unsafe for

consumption and making the treatment a failure. This happened because the

prototype made by the researchers was an open system which makes airborne

bacteria to contaminate the water and because the water treatment is very slow

to process, bacterias had a lot of time to contaminate the water. Another problem
 26

is that the researchers only had money to test one sample due to having low

funds, resulting in only testing one treatment, which is the reason why the data

given is only one (1) in Table 3 above.

 Chapter 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In conclusion, our experiment with a ceramic water filtration device prototype

failed to purify contaminated water. The results concluded that the device used in the

experiment was not effective in removing impurities from the contaminated water. The

failure of the ceramic water filtration device to purify the contaminated water could be

due to several factors, including the design of the prototype, the quality of the

materials used, the flow rate, and the filtration media used. The porous ceramic

material used in the device was not effective in removing all impurities from the

contaminated water as the ceramic filter had remnants of the past trial still on the filter

that have contributed to the rising bacteria content on the water. The design of the

prototype could have contributed to the failure of the experiment due to the opted open

design we have on our prototype that has led to the bacterial content rising instead of

decreasing. The results of this experiment suggest that this particular ceramic water

filtration device is not an effective means of purifying contaminated water. The failure

of the prototype device might be also due to our inexperienced researchers that while

searching for the design of the prototype, we didn't factor in the effects of the open

design of the prototype and how it could affect the outcome of the experiment and

how drastic it affect the result when the bacterial content was exposed on the

laboratory. We recommend that the prototype be closed because it affects the bacterial

content on the prototype and the orange would be changed to

 28

lemon because it was more acidic, and the acidity can affect the bacterial content

on the filtered water by the prototype created.

Recommended Bacterial content

In the bacterial content shown in our treatments, it multiplied into ten (10) times

the original amount than it already had. The researchers concluded that this happened

due to our prototype and treatment process used. The prototype happens to be an open

system which causes airborne bacterias to contaminate the treatment, also, the system's

filtration process is very slow which lets the bacteria have a lot of time to contaminate

the treatment. The researchers recommended that the prototype should be fixed and

turned to be a closed system and the treatment process should be done in a closed area

because the last results happens only because the researchers conducted their research

in an open area which can lead bacterias to contaminate it. After this recommendation

is to be finished, This can lessen the bacterial content that the open system has

procured.
 29

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APPENDICES
1. Appendix 1:Documentation

Appendix 1a: Preparation of materials.

Collecting the main components of water filtration

Creating the Prototype

 33

Extracting the components

 34

Appendix 1b: Carried out the research

Place the materials on the prototype

Collecting waste water from Pulangi river

 35

Testing the water filter

 36

Appendix 2: Results

Laboratory results

T0 and T1 in a microscope