Development of low-cost filtration system for groundwater iron removal application

Ooi, Shin Yi (2024) Development of low-cost filtration system for groundwater iron removal application. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Groundwater, also known as subsurface water, has been used in many countries and in various fields including domestic, agricultural, industrial, commercial establishment, and public institutions. The majority of Earth’s freshwater is found in icecaps and glaciers which is over 68%, and over 30% is found in groundwater. Iron is commonly found in groundwater in soluble ferric, Fe3+ and insoluble ferrous Fe2+ forms. Groundwater can be dangerous to the human and environment if the iron content is higher than the maximum allowable value. Iron can cause toxicity in plant, reduce nutrient availability, staining and clogging of the irrigation system. Although 0.1 ppm of iron may cause clogging of the irrigation systems, reduce water flow rate, and reduce the plant growth while above 0.3 ppm of iron can cause discoloration on the plant leaves and staining. Currently, there are several technologies applied for iron removal from groundwater, including Vyredox technologies, oxidation followed by filtration, filter separation media, aeration, and membrane technologies. However, the existing technologies have some limitations for the application in relatively small area farm such as the space requirement and cost consideration. In this study, a lowcost self-fabricated filtration system with the local available materials has been designed and developed. The groundwater samples were collected from Miracle Berry Farm at Malim Nawar, Perak. The iron removal efficiency from groundwater by the filtration system were investigated by analysing the initial and final concentration of iron in groundwater before and after filtration. The iron concentrations were tested using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS). The amount of Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) required for effective iron removal were studied. The other parameters including color, turbidity, and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency were investigated. The groundwater filtration flux was studied to ensure the filtration system allows water to pass through in a consistent rate. The groundwater was allowed to flow through the filter system by gravitational force without pressure pump. The cost analysis was performed to evaluate the cost needed for a simple filter system but effective in iron removal. Overall, the iron removal efficiency of the system has achieved 89%, to a level of less than the allowable concentration of iron in water. Color and turbidity values were observed to be reduced after the groundwater passing through the filter system, which were found to be 82% and 95% respectively. COD value was observed to be reduced in a gradually rate and recommendations for improvement in the future study was provided.

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