study of biosorbent ability of pectin and modified pectin from peel off papaya in removal of heavy metals in drinking water

1.1 Background

Nowadays, industrial activity growth and increasing water usage worldwide have led to the release of various pollutants such as toxic heavy metals into aquatic environment. Industrial activity also can cause to heavy contamination in surface water, groundwater, or the sea, in which they enter into the food chain that causing the toxic effects. Heavy metals ion such as copper, cadmium, lead, nickel and chromium are often found in industrial wastewater. Heavy metals are really dangerous because they can go through a process of bioaccumulation. They have the potential to ts accumulate within sensitive organs and tissues (Wong et al., 2009). Therefore, it is important to remove those heavy metals from wastewater before it become serious.

There are many ways that can be used to remove those toxic heavy metals such as chemical precipitation, ion exchange, membrane processes and adsorption onto activated carbon etc. However, those processes are often limited because of technical or economic restriction. Therefore, there is another method that is low cost, easily obtained, high efficiency in detoxifying very dilute effluents and the most important is no nutrient requirements are needed. Biosorption process is the most promising method. It is a potential alternative to conventional processes for the removal of toxic metals from wastewater. In this project, the extraction of pectin from peel off papaya is act as adsorbent used to remove the heavy metals. Thus, we can reduce the cost of removal.

Papaya is also known as Carica Papaya in scientific name. It is a tropical fruit produced by Carica tree, which many believe that they are from the Mexico and Central America. Papaya is high in carotenes, antioxidants, flavonoids a...

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...e of the biosorbent to remove the heavy metals from water. Today, papaya is grown everywhere. So, it is available and the waste of papaya is abundant everywhere since people only eat flesh. In this study, source of water from Arau Canal is used for determination of heavy metals concentration in the water. It is also to compare biosorbent ability of pectin and modified pectin from peel off papaya.

1.4 Objective

The overall goal of this objective is to study of biosorbent ability of pectin and modified pectin from peel off papaya in removal of heavy metals in drinking water. The specific objectives are as follows:

i. To extract pectin from peel off papaya. ii. To develop pectin as a low cost biosorbent in removal of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Cr) in drinking water. iii. To compare the biosorbent ability of pectin and modified pectin from peel off papaya.