DILIMAN PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

S.Y. 2021-2022

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RICE HUSK MEDIA FILTER

AS A LOW-COST ALTERNATIVE FOR WATER PURIFICATION

A Study Presented to the Faculty

Basic Education Department – Senior High School

Diliman Preparatory School

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

Research In Daily Life 2

By:

Dela Cruz, Xarish Ycee Zhianelle

Recio, Rachelle Anne Joy

Sangalang, Jared Yosef

Solpico, Mikko

Sulit, Raphael Simon

Unarse, Francis Emmanuele

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to thank and put this study toward to the Almighty God, who

has always been by our side ever since the beginning of this period. The source of the

researchers’ strength, power, wisdom, patience and knowledge who has never failed to shower

his blessings and replenish souls. Without his guidance and power, this research study wouldn’t

be possible. The researchers would also like to express their deepest gratitude to the following

people:

To Mr. Kamil D. Malunes, the researchers’ Research Professor, for his genuine love and

support, words of wisdom, guidance and patience that encouraged the researchers to accomplish

the study. And most of all, his trust and faith to the researchers by giving this wonderful and life-

moving task.

To our dearest validators, Eng. Marina Recio, Eng. Sophia Vergara, Ms. Samantha

Alonzo, and Ms. Katrina Talle for taking their time to answer to correct the alignment of the

checklist in the whole research process and experimentation done.

And lastly, to the beloved parents for providing unconditional love and support that

carried the researchers through rough patches.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page..…………………………………………………………………………….………. i

Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………………………. ii

Table of Content...……………………………………………………………………………. iii

Dedication. ……………….………………………………………………………….………... iv

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………. .v

INTRODUCTION pages 1-3

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY pages 4-9

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS pages 10-18

Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………. vi

Bibliography…. …………………………………………………………….…………………….vii
 DEDICATION

This study is wholeheartedly dedicated to our beloved parents, who have been our source of

inspiration and strength when we thought of giving up, who continually provide their emotional,

moral, spiritual, and financial support.

To our brothers, sisters, relatives, friends, mentor and fellow classmates who shared their words

of advice and encouragement to finish this study.

And lastly, we dedicate this study to the Almighty God, thank you for the guidance, strength,

power of mind, protection, blessings and for giving us a healthy reply. All of these we offer to

you,
 ABSTRACT

Title THE EFFECTIVNESS OF RICE HUSK

FILTER

AS A LOW-COST ALTERNATIVE

FOR WATER PURIFICATION

Researchers Dela Cruz, Xarish Ycee Zhianelle

Recio, Rachelle Anne Joy

Sangalang, Jared Yosef

Solpico, Mikko

Sulit, Raphael Simon

Unarse, Francis Emmanuelle

Adviser Mr. Kamil D. Malunes

School Diliman Preparatory School

Year April 2022

This research addresses a water problem since clean water is a significant demand for

everyone. Water purification is expensive for some people who need water in their place but do
not have enough money. According to water.org (2021), "more than 3 million people in the

Philippines rely on unsafe and unsustainable water sources and 7 million lack access to improved

sanitation".
Water is unsafe in the Philippines due to following reasons:

1. Water supplies in parts of the Philippines are frequently scarce, and, as a consequence,

supplies are frequently shut down to preserve capacity and leave them no choice but to

consume unsafe water.

2. The discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater and agricultural runoff has caused

extensive pollution of the receiving water bodies.

3. Lack of sanitation access and overpopulation in the Philippines contribute to unsafe

water. When the population is growing, water will be in demand, the cost will be high,

and less fortunate people will not have access to it.

However, those problems can be solved with a do-it-yourself RH water filter. With a do-it-

yourself RH filter, individuals do not have to always rely on a single source for clean water.

With a do-it-yourself RH filter, they can always use the dirty water again so that it does not

have to go to waste and for a less cost water bill to save money. Therefore, recycling water is

a solution to the scarcity of water.

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 INTRODUCTION

Rice husk is the coating on a seed or grain of rice. It is formed from hard materials,

including silica and lignin, to protect the seed during the growing season. Rice husk is an

abundantly available, inexpensive agro-waste with several industrially important chemicals and

properties, such as composition, surface adsorption, strength, bulk density, calorific values,

abrasion, and much more. Rice husk ash is the remaining by-product after combustion is done.

Rice husk in the past did not have much use and was just burned but now it has many

uses such as, including fuel for boilers, fillers in rubbers, fodder for animals, and a source of

different materials, such as silica, silica carbide, cellulose, carbon nanotubes, and graphene.

The problem with water purification is that it can get expensive to buy for people or

companies that do not have a lot of budgets. Another problem that can come when using things

that can purify water is that it can break down, and it can be expensive to repair. For the first

problem, Rice husks can solve the problem of expensive ways of water purification. Rice husk is

very abundant, and it is very cheap to get. For the second problem, the process of purifying water

using rice husk ash is very cheap to do and it is easily fixed if it were to go wrong.

Rice husk, which is seen as a waste, has a large amount of silicon. The utilization of

carbonized rice husk in water filtration is investigated in this research. A handmade carbonized

was used for the carbonization. The pyrolysis of rice husk in an inert atmosphere produces a

carbon-rich precursor, which is then used in the preparation process. The findings demonstrate

the importance of using carbonic materials by providing direct evidence of the sodium ion Na+’s

persistence in activated carbon. The findings also suggest that carbonized rice husks can be used

to purify water in a quick, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Pollutants such as dyes, phenols,

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organic compounds, pesticides, inorganic anions, and heavy metals can be removed very

effectively with rice husk as an adsorbent.

The basis material for generating novel compositions to address the difficulty of

purifying drinking water in low-income homes in India is rice-husk-ash. Rice-husk-ash cast in a

cement and pebble matrix, for example, can be produced into a filter bed that can trap up to 95%

of turbidity and microorganisms in water. As a do-it-yourself rural water filter, this invention

spread across India’s villages. Another breakthrough is the utilization of silver nanoparticles

embedded in a rice husk ash matrix to generate a bactericidal filtration bed, which has now been

marketed in India as a low-cost for-profit household water purifier. Other innovations include

impregnating rice husk ash with iron hydroxide to remove arsenic from water and impregnating

rice husk ash with the aluminum hydroxide to remove fluoride ions from water, both of which

have the potential to benefit over 100 million people in India who are suffering from health

effects of drinking arsenic and fluoride-contaminated groundwater.

This study was chosen to show the good changes and the potential that Rice Husk can

make in our society. The use of Rice Husk can really improve the quality of water and can make

them cleaner so that the water we drink is clean and does not contain anything that will harm our

body and can assist sea life by removing spilled oil or chemicals that can harm them. Rice husk

was usually burned, and it had an effect on climate change, but since it has many uses now, it no

longer has to be burned therefore slowing down the progress of climate change.

An attempt has been made in this study to present Rice Husk is being used as a solution

to water pollution (RH) as well as rice husk ash (RHA). It was accomplished through the use of

RH & RHA water purifying filters. The filters are a set of blocks. RH& RH were created by

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combining several ingredients. RH, RHA, fine aggregate, and cement percentages The Filter

block materials were mixed together in the desired proportions.

The cured filter was positioned for drying after it had been cast. Pond water, river water,

and kitchen wastewater were all tested for water quality. The efficiency of the treatment was

determined by analyzing several properties of water passing through different filter blocks. The

major goal of this study was to use RH and RHA-based filters to reduce hardness, chloride

concentration, turbidity, sulfates, and iron content in water samples obtained from diverse places.

Various experiments were carried out to determine the reusability of the column filter.

After five cycles of the process, the efficiency of the column filter was around about 5%,

according to the experimental data. As a result of this research, we now have a better

understanding of how RHA can be used as filters and the many parameters that can be removed

from wastewater using RHA-based filters.

This was supported by the law of the Philippines, provided by the 17th Constitution. This

includes; REPUBLIC ACT No. 11203 (An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and

Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice, and For

Other Purposes) for the modernization of rice production and the modernization of agriculture

that stated, "‘Agricultural products’ shall refer to specific commodities classified under Chapters

1-24 of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) adopted and used in

Section 1611 of R. A. No. 10863, otherwise known as the "Customs Modernization and Tariff

Act" (CMTA);"

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 METHODOLOGY

Discussed in this part of the paper are the research steps and procedures done in this

study. It includes the research design, the research locale, the sampling technique, the research

instrument, and the data collection procedures used.

This research utilized a quantitative, experimental research design specifically a true

experimental research design. It is a quantitative study because it is a systematic empirical

investigation of observable phenomena in statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques

(Surendan, 2019). This research used a quantitative research design since the researcher

employed observation, measurement, and computation to test the hypothesis by collecting data

through observational studies which were analyzed and validated by 5 experts in the field of our

study. Specifically, 2 chemical engineers and 3 chemists. Thus, this study uses an expert

sampling technique by providing the experts a checklist for validity and more reliable and

accurate results.

This research design was suitable for this study since its objective was to determine the

effectiveness of rice husk as one of the media filters as an alternative to low-cost water

purification. Moreover, it was a true experimental type of research because the variables

included in this study were rice husk and the water purification system. At least one independent

variable is experimentally manipulated and with at least one dependent or outcome variable

(Sakind, 2010). The independent variable is the water purification or filtration system while the

dependent variable is the rice husk. The water filter system was manipulated, tested separately in

two groups, namely the control and experimental groups.

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The treatment in the control group is the normal water filtering system which consists of

activated carbon as its first layer, second layer cotton, third layer sand, fourth pebbles and lastly,

gravel. At the tip of the filter there is a filter cloth and cotton to ensure proper filtration.

Whereas, the experimental group consists of 7 layers and an added variable is the rice husk as

media filter to test its effectivity for a low-cost alternative to a water purification system.

The following layers included are activated carbon as the first layer, second is cotton, raw rice

husk as third, sand at the fourth layer, pebbles at the fifth layer, gravel, filter cloth and cotton as

the last layer. Moreover, 2 types of contaminated water will be used for the control and

experimental group with the same amount of water when administered. The first type is a

homogenous mixture namely rice starch water. Secondly, a heterogenous mixture that is

composed of water and soil mixture.

The control and experimental group treatment and process were administered simultaneously to

identify the differences and how effective the rice husk is as one of the media filters. The heigh

of the overall filter is 280mm, where 40mm is how much per media filter is. Generally, the

whole water filter is called a slow water filter treatment and process. It will take time for the

contaminated water to filter the unwanted substances from the two types of contaminants.

The specific materials used in the experiments are the following:

 3 types of containers: 2 Large recyclable bottles (2L), 2 medium containers for the

filtered rice starch water from the control and experimental group, 2 medium containers

for the homozygous rice starch contaminated water, 2 semi-medium for the filtered water

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 and soil mixture from experimentation setup A and setup B. Lastly, 2 semi-medium

containers for the heterozygous water and soil mixture.

Large container: 280mm height, Filter tip: 25mm diameter x 25 height

Medium container: 165 mm

Semi-medium container: 155 mm

 Filter cloth

 Cotton

 Fresh rice husk

 Pebbles/ Gravel

 Fine sand

 Activated Carbon/ Charcoal

 Homozygous contaminated water (rice starch water) - 40 oz

 Heterozygous contaminated water (water and soil mixture) – 24 oz

 Strainer

This study was conducted in Quezon City, Philippines, particularly in the residence of 3 of the 5

researchers. The experts involved in this study were also residing in Quezon City, Philippines.

This study was conducted from December 2021 to April 2022.

Process/Procedure on how the experiment was done:

Furthermore, under the true experimental research design, a posttest-only control group

design was used to describe, explore, and explain the effectiveness of the rice husk filter as a

low-cost alternative after the overall experimentation employing observation and validation from

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the sampling method. In general, this study has both independent and dependent variables. The

posttest-only control group was utilized in such a way that the effect of the independent variable

was observed on the dependent variable through manipulating the independent variable.

The whole process was divided into two sections: the pre-experiment and during the

experiment. The pre-experiment process is setting up the two-water filters. One is a filter system

(experimental group) consisting of rice husk as one of the media filters. On the other hand, the

control group is a normal filter system. In addition to that, during the pre-experimentation

materials such as bottles, media filters must be prepared for easier setup. Steps done to prepare

the materials to be utilized in the experiment are the following:

In the first step, the 2 base of the large containers where the filter mediums are layered

must be cut off. Second, once you have removed and cut the base part of the 2 main filters, start

setting up and layering each media filter chronologically. Ensure that each medium filter is

washed before putting it in the filter. Third, each layering of the media filters should be compact

for better filtering and based on a 1:1 ratio measurement with 400mL of height per media filter to

a 2000mL height of a large container. Fourth, place the large container on the medium container

since that is where the purified water will settle. Lastly for the pre-experimentation setup, when

the whole filter setup is finished preparing the two types of contaminated water beside each filter

for preparation for the actual filtration.

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 The experimentation process itself is administered in two different groups:

First, filtering the homozygous mixture, particularly the rice starch water, into the control and

experimental groups. Second, filtering using the heterozygous mixture, the soil and water

mixture or mud, into the control and experimental water filter. During the experimentation, time

was recorded at the beginning and end of the whole filtration process for both the control and

experimental groups to purify the two different types of contaminants. The post-test

experimentation was recorded by observing noticeable changes when the water was filtered

through the sense of smell, touch, and look.

During the experiment, 40 oz volume of contaminated water was used specifically for the rice

starch water or wastewater from washed rice which its appearance now considered to be cloudy

is expected to be filtered and purified after passing through each layer and catching its

contaminants and likewise with the filtering process of the heterozygous mixture namely soil and

water mixture. However, the researchers will then discuss the results in detail in the next part of

the paper.

INSTRUMENT

The instrument used to collect data was a checklist. This was used because data gathered from

this would also determine the accuracy and reliability of the study. Besides the experts in the

field validating our whole experimental process and material used are applicable for a low-cost

water purification.

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The researchers prepared their questions based on the study's research question. The checklist

draft was drawn out based on their readings, reviewed, and unpolished thesis relevant to the

study. The researchers saw that there were enough items to collect data to cover all aspects of the

problem and answer all the specific questions under the statement of the problem. Then, the

researcher submitted the checklist to the experts in the field included in the study for correction

after it was finalized. Thus, the checklist was then distributed to the 5 specific respondents’

expert in the said study.

MATERIALS AND ITS USES

 Activated carbon – Will remove any unwanted herbicides, pesticides, chemicals, and

other identified organic contaminants when filtering in the water.

 Cotton – Will filter out bacteria present in the contaminated water.

 Rice husk

 Sand, Filter Cloth, Pebbles – Will remove the small particles present in the contaminated

water.

 Gravel – Will remove the large particles present in the contaminated water.

 Soil and Rice starch contaminated water – To test the filter’s effectivity.

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 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The researchers conducted four experiments to further test the effectivity of rice husk as a water

media filter in both kinds of contaminated water.

 Experiment 1 – Rice starch water with filter B

 Experiment 2 – Rice starch water through filter A

 Experiment 3 – Soil contaminated water through filter B

 Experiment 4 – Soil contaminated water through filter

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 Experimental Setup B: with rice husk
Experimental Setup A: without rice husk

Activated - Carbon - Cotton - Rice husk -

Activated - Carbon - Cotton - Sand - Pebbles
Sand - Pebbles - Gravel - Filter cloth –
- Gravel - Filter cloth – Cotton
Cotton

(Filter B)
(Filter A)

(Figure 2)
(Figure 1)

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Results for Experiment 1 Results for Experiment 2

(Figure 3)

(Figure 4)

Results for Experiment 3 Results for Experiment 4

(Figure 5)

(Figure 6)
The table below (Table 1) contains are the different data variables that the researchers have

collected during the experiment.

(Table 1)

The table below (Table 2) contains the computation for the filter absorption used in the

conducted experiments.

(Table 2)

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The tables below (Table 3, 4, an 5) are the respondent’s checklist accompanied by their e-

signature

(Table 3)

(Table 4)

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(Table 5)

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 RESULTS

The first experiment revealed that rice husk appeared to add to the cloudiness of the

water's appearance (Figure 3). Compared to the second result (Figure 4), water filtered by filter

A is noticeably more transparent. On the other hand, both have proved effective at reducing the

appearance of rice starch water. In terms of scent, the first experiment's findings (Figure 3) had a

less starchy aroma than the second experiment's findings (Figure 4). Additionally, even though

experiment one took twenty-three minutes longer, the second experiment absorbed much more

rice starch-contaminated water than the first.

The results of experiments three and four (Figure 6) looked much better in appearance

than experiment three (Figure 5). The results for the fourth experiment (Figure 6) were more

transparent, required less filter time, collected more of the contaminated water, and even

eliminated the earthy odor brought by the soil. If you look closely at the results for experiment

three (Figure 5), you can notice that the filtered water has a yellowish hue and a less earthy

fragrance in person, which is not evident in the photos.

According to the data, the materials used for the study tests were all considered

affordable by the participants. For the study, the materials in question were filter cloth and

cotton. On the other hand, most respondents agreed that cotton, rice husk, fine sand, pebbles, and

gravel are easily accessible. And that activated carbon is the only material that is challenging to

obtain.

The experiments were conducted chronologically, beginning with the slow sand filter

procedure, and concluding with a 1:1 ratio measurement after each phase. According to the data,

all responders are satisfied with the homozygous and heterozygous polluted water used in the

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study. While the research findings were initially optimistic, they indicated that the use of rice

husk as one of the media filters was inadequately effective at cleaning all types of dirty water, as

expected by the great majority of people who participated in the study.

The study's setup corresponded to the standards for a slow water filter system, with rice

husk functioning as one of the media filtering elements. As a result, it was determined that this

structure required less upkeep. While this experiment did not corroborate the researcher's initial

hypothesis, it did reveal that this setup was incapable of purifying the previously stated filthy

water. The rice husk had no impact on removing any organic matter present in the water.

DISCUSSION

The experiment's findings did not quite match the researchers' hypothesis. Rice husk lowered the

water's clarity and gradually lessened the contaminated water's odor. The rice husk was less

effective than other filtering mediums since the size or area to be filtered is more critical than the

size of the rice husk.

It may be used as a filter medium only if the material filter is much more prominent in size than

the rice husk. Since the experiment used in the study does not replicate this situation, the

researchers will be unable to produce a better result regarding the water's transparency. The

researchers will base solely on the appearance of the filtered water. Because of this, the

researchers are not sure if rice husk will be beneficial in the future for bacterial filtration. The

rice husk significantly affected the water's visual and olfactory characteristics in the opposite

way the researchers expected. Although rice husk ash came from rice husk, making them similar.

vi
Both materials will produce significantly different results when used separately as a water

filtration media.

RECOMMENDATION

In terms of cost-efficiency, activated carbon is preferred over rice husk. Utilizing rice husk ash in

a small quantity does not pass for a low-cost filtration media. Rice husk is formed when rice is

exposed to high heat for a lengthy time. After heating the rice husk ash, it must be chemically

treated to maximize the ash's properties. On the other hand, creating an activated carbon water

filter does not require much material. Apart from that, it has remarkable absorption

characteristics. For water treatment, activated carbon filter media is available in several forms,

including granular activated carbon for wastewater treatment, powdered activated carbon for

trace synthetic chemical treatment, and extruded active charcoal for dechlorination and chemical

removal. Additionally, activated carbon has the power to regenerate. Consequently, the carbon

dioxide emitted during combustion may be recycled for various purposes; the used carbon can be

reused for other purposes.

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APPENDICES

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LIST OF APPENDICES

A. Checklist

B. Validated research instrument

C. Approval Letter

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 A. CHECKLIST

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name (First Name, Middle Name, Last Name): _________________________________

Age: _____

Occupation: _________________________

Signature: _____________________

I. MATERIALS Yes No
1. Are these media filters easily accesible?
a. Activated Carbon
b. Cotton
c. Rice husk
d. Fine sand
e. Pebbles
f. Gravel
2. Are the added materials in the water filter affordable?
a. Filter cloth
b. Cotton
b. 3 types of recyclable containers
 2 large recyclable bottles (2L)
 2 medium containers for the filtered rice starch water from experimentation setup A and
setup B
 2 medium containers for the homozygous rice starch contaminated water (165 mm)
 2 semi-medium containers for the filtered water and soil mixture from experimentation
setup A and setup B
 2 semi-medium containers for the heterozygous soil and contaminated water mixture
(155mm)

II. SETUP
3. Are the media filters arranged chronologically, based on the slow sand filter process?
4. Is each media filter based on a 1:1 ratio measurement?
5. Is the rice starch water sufficient as the contaminated water used in the
experimentation?

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5. Is the water and soil mixture (mud) sufficient as the heterozygous contaminated water
used in the experiment?
6. Can all types of contaminated water be purified in this experimentation setup B (with
rice husk as one of the media filters)
7. Is this type of setup low maintenance?
8. Did the researchers aim to suffice the standards of a slow water filter system with rice
husk as one of the media filters on the overall setup?

III. POST-TEST

9. Did the rice husk as one of the media filters was able to purify the contaminated water
compared to the normal filtering system?
10. If so, did the rice husk specifically contribute to remove the contaminants of the water
by means of eliminating the organic matters present in the:
a. Homozygous contaminated water (rice starch water)
heterozygous contaminated water (water and soil mixture/mud)

REMARKS: (Optional)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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B. VALIDATED RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

1. Mr. John Paul Recio

2. Mrs. Katrina Talle

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3. Ms. Samantha Alonzo

4. Eng. Marina Recio

vi
5. Eng. Sophia Vergara

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C. LETTER OF APPROVAL

vi
vi
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Malhotra, C. P. (2013b, June). Rice husk derived adsorbents for water purification. Rice Husk

Derived Adsorbents for Water Purification. Retrieved April 2022, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258741507_Novel_uses_of_Rice-Husk-

Ash_a_natural_Silica-Carbon_matrix_in_Low-Cost_Water_Purification_Applications

Paul, O (2021). The Effect Of Rice Husk Ash And Grinded Rice Husk On The Compressive

Strength Of Concrete. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/the-effect-of-

rice-husk-ash-and-grinded-rice-husk-on-the-compressive-strength-of-concrete

Phonphuak, N. (2015). Rice Husk - an overview science direct opics. Science Direct.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/rice-husk

Project, B. (2019, December 16). Water pollution in the Philippines. The Borgen Project.

https://borgenproject.org/water-pollution-in-the-philippines/

Salkind, N.J. (2010). True experimental design. True Experimental Design. Retrieved 2022, from

https://methods.sagepub.com/reference/encyc-of-research-design/n472.xml

Thazhamon, D. A. (2021, June). Activated carbon: The water treatment workhorse. Activated

Carbon: The Water Treatment Workhorse. Retrieved April 2022, from

https://wcponline.com/2021/06/15/activated-carbon-the-water-treatment-workhorse/

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water.org. (n.d.). Philippines water crisis water in the Philippines 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022,

from https://water.org/our-impact/where-we-work/philippines/

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