Evaluating the Performance of Desert Date (Balanite aegyptiaca) as a Disinfectant in Raw Water Treatment

Authors: Kyari FA, Jones AN, Yadima SG

DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7496729

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the potential of using desert date (Balanite aegytiaca) seed kernel as disinfectant in domestic water treatment. Four different extracts were prepared from the kernel namely defatted powdered extract (DPE), defatted water extract (DWE), defatted filtered extract (DFE) and crude water extract (CWE). A jar test apparatus was used to determine the effect of different dosages (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/l) of the extracts in raw water treatment obtained from river Ngadda, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. The performance of the extracts against total coliform and E. coli was assessed. The results show that the optimum dose used in reducing both total coliform and E. coli concentration in the water was 1.5 g/l using DPE with 72 and 100% efficiencies, while DWE achieved approximately 90 and 100% removal respectively. Interestingly, the optimum dose of 1.5 g/l of DFE achieved approximately 83% reduction in total coliform concentration. However, for E. coli, 1.5 and 2.0 g/l were the optimum doses used to obtain 100% performance using DFE. Similarly, CWE recorded 89% reduction in total coliform using an optimum dose of 2.5 g/l while 1.0 g/l achieved 100% E. coli removal. A remarkable zero bacterial count was achieved for E. coli inactivation using DPE at (1.5 and 2.0 g/l), using DWE at (1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/l), using DFE at (1.0 and 1.5 g/l) and using CWE at (1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 g/l). Overall, the performance of Balanite aegytiaca seed extracts disinfectant in water treatment is promising showing 100% reduction in some cases against E-coli.

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