Performance evaluation of moringa oleifera functionalized rice husk ash as a biofilter for drinking water treatment

This study evaluated the performance of portable moringa oleifera cationic protein (MOCP) functionalized rice husk ash biofilters drinking water treatment in terms of E. coli, turbidity, and hardness removal. MOCP was extracted from moringa oleifera seeds, adsorbed on the surface of rice husk ash (RHA), and used as a biofilter. After a series of laboratory tests, and field tests, it was found that the biofilter was capable of achieving coliform removals up to 98% and lowering turbidity levels down to \u3c 1 NTU. The experiments on the effect of the MOCP biofilter on water hardness did not show consistent results, so further experimentation is recommended. Also, future studies may be conducted to increase the breakthrough volume of the filter which stands at 8 L