Efficacy of Calamansi (Citrofortunella microcarpa) Extract and

Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) Oil Vaporizer Solution as

Mosquito Repellent
Reem G. Mahmoud
Author

Special Science Program (SSP)

Salug National High School
Salug Zamboanga Del Norte

Requirement in Research 4

Joel M. Tiquel
Research Adviser

September 2021

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 Table of Contents

Rationale ……………………………………………………………………………… 2
Statement of the problem ……………………………………………….….... 2
Hypothesis ……………………………………………………………………………. 3
Goals and Expected Outcomes …………………………………………..……… 4
Methodology …………………………………………………………………………. 5
Risk and Safety ………………………………………………………………….….. 8
Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………. 9

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 Research Plan
Rationale
Mosquito repellents play a pivotal role in the prevention of
mosquito-borne diseases. There are various types of repellents, from sprays,
coils and even creams. Numerous measures to reduce the spreading of both
mosquitoes and the diseases they bring have been made, and have led to the
development of chemicals that fight against mosquitoes, but some of these
developments have been found to have detrimental effects on humans.
Naturally occurring compounds found in Citronella Oil and Calamansi Extract
such as geraniol, citronellal and limonene (also known as monoterpenoids)
have been found to have the same repellency effect as DEET (Fradin, 2019).
Instead of utilizing potentially harmful and inorganic chemicals to fend off
mosquitoes, botanical repellents may be able to repel mosquitoes just like
DEET, and pose no harm at all.

Statement of the problem

The real danger of mosquitoes lie in their ability to transmit diseases.
Mosquito-borne diseases such as Malaria are one of the leading causes of
death worldwide. To counter their numbers, the field of mosquito control has
developed numerous repellents; those of which may be effective, but also cause
harm to the human body.

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Exposure to certain repellents can cause skin irritation, increased risk of
various forms of cancer and damage to the nervous system.

Specifically, the study aims to answer the following:

a. How much time after application is Calamansi extract and

Citronella oil vaporizer solution at its most efficient?

b. How much mL of Calamansi extract and Citronella oil vaporizer

solution must be vaporized for the repellency to take effect?

Hypothesis
Ho. Calamansi extract and Citronella oil vaporizer solution is not effective
in repelling mosquitoes.

Ha. Calamansi extract and Citronella oil vaporizer solution is most

effective in repelling mosquitoes at 3 minutes after application.

Engineering Goal
● To determine how much time the repellency effect of Citronella and
Calamansi takes against mosquitoes

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Goals and Expected Outcomes
This study aims to ascertain the efficacy of Calamansi extract and
Citronella oil as a natural liquid vaporizer solution designed to repel
mosquitoes while also not being harmful or hazardous to its consumers.

Description in Details of Methods or Procedure

A. Construction of glass box
The box is entirely made of sheet glass. It has dimensions of:
length: 20cm; width: 20cm; height: 20cm. It has a square lid (5x5cm) on
the center of one of its sides to serve as the entryway for the vaporizer.
The box will be obtained from a trusted manufacturer.

B. Preparation of Citronella oil

Pour ¼ cup palm oil and 10 citronella leaves into a pot. Place the
pot on the stove and set it to medium heat. Leave it to boil for 15

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 minutes. Strain the mixture using a strainer. Repeat this process 2 more
times. Set the solution aside.

C. Extraction of Calamansi juice

Collect 15-20 pieces of Calamansi fruit. Slice them in half using a
knife. Use a strainer to extract and filter the Calamansi juice. Make sure
there is no solid excess in the extract. Set the extract aside.

D. Formulation of mosquito repellent solution

Mix the Citronella oil and Calamansi extract inside any container.
Use a stirrer to stir the mixture with. The needed volume of the mixture
is 50-75mL. Pour the solution inside the liquid vaporizer container. Set
the container aside.

E. Acquirement of live subjects

Mosquitoes were acquired through backyard breeding using five

75mL plastic water bottles with 20mL water in a dark, cool place. After
being left there for 10 days, they were carefully closed and brought to the
testing area, in which the bottles were then opened inside the sheet glass
box.

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Risk and Safety

Citronella extract may cause an allergic reaction when it makes direct

contact to some individuals' skin. Wearing rubber gloves is recommended.
Avoid getting chemicals into ones eyes.

When obtaining mosquito subjects, take caution and wear long clothing
to avoid being bitten, as mosquitoes may carry diseases.

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 Bibliography
Autumn (2017). Top 5 best plug in mosquito killers. Retrieved October
13, 2019, from
http://www.travelsage.co.uk/top-5-best-plug-mosquito-killers/
Mohankumar, D. (2016). How liquid vaporizers expels mosquito? Fact file
28. Retrieved October 15, 2019, from
https://google.com/amp/s/dmohankumar.wordpress.com/201
6/04/18/how-liquid-vaporizer-expels-mosquito-fact-file-28/
Naz, M, et. al (2018). Comparative study of subchronic toxicities of
mosquito repellents (coils, mats and liquids) on vital organs in
Swiss albino mice. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, Volume 27,
Issue 3. Retrieved October 15, 2019, from
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2018.12.002
Yoon, J.K. et.al (2015) Comparison of repellency effect of mosquito
repellents for DEET, Citronella, and Fennel oil. Journal of
Parasitology Research, Volume 2015. Retrieved October 13,
2019, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/361021
Oil of Citronella general fact sheet. (2019). National Pesticide Information
Center. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/citronellagen.html
National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database.
Citronellal. Retrieved October 13, 2019 from
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Citronellal
Jackson-Ricketts, J., Latham, K.,& Z,Y. (2019). Citronella oil as a
mosquito repellent, Retrieved October 13, 2019 from
https://insectcop.net/citronella-oil-for-mosquito-repelling/

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 Jackson-Ricketts, J., Latham, K.,& Z,Y. (2019). Citrus fruit might provide
us with an alternative way to fight mosquitoes. Retrieved
October 13, 2019 from
https://insectcop.net/citrus-fruit-might-provide-us-with-alterna
tive-way-to-fight-mosquitoes/
Simon-Oke, I.A. & Akeju. A.V. (2017). Laboratory evaluation of extract
from peels and seeds of some Citrus species against Anopheles
mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). International Journal of Mosquito
Research, 4(5), 49. Retrieved October 13, 2019 from
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2-10-675.pdf
Citrus peels as insect repellent. (2016). Retrieved on October 16, 2019,
from
http://studymoose.com/citrus-peels-as-insect-repellent-essay
Smith, M. (2017). How To Make Citronella Oil At Home. Retrieved on
October 10, 2021, from
https://beauty.onehowto.com/article/how-to-make-citronella-oi
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