Pumpkin Purification

Removal of Toxic Metals from an

Aqueous Solution Using Curcurbita

Agricultural Waste Products

Lauren HodgeDallastown Area High School

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

IDEA FORMATION

Review of Journal Article York Flood Garden Observation

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Why do banana peels work? Compounds in pumpkin Hypothesis

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Purpose of this research Dosage dependent? Lead versus chromium? Is concentration a factor?

RESEARCHRESEARCH

Graphs courtesy of the United States Geological Survey

RESEARCHRESEARCH

WATER POLLUTION: A Problem Limited to Developing Countries?

RESEARCHRESEARCH

WATER POLLUTION: A Problem Limited to Developing Countries?

INCORRECT!!!!!!

• Exists globally, nationally, and locally

• 12,531 pounds of toxic metals flow through the Susquehanna daily

RESEARCHRESEARCH

CURRENT REMOVAL METHODSCURRENT REMOVAL METHODS

Chemical PrecipitationChemical Precipitation

Ion ExchangeIon Exchange

Reverse OsmosisReverse Osmosis

PhytoremediationPhytoremediation

Adsorption- activated carbon, resinsAdsorption- activated carbon, resins

RESEARCHRESEARCH

AGRICULTURAL WASTE PRODUCTSAGRICULTURAL WASTE PRODUCTS

Apple WasteApple Waste CorncobsCorncobs Cereal CropsCereal Crops Barks and LeavesBarks and Leaves SawdustSawdust Banana PeelBanana Peel

RESEARCHRESEARCH

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL BIOMASS

Lignocellulosic biomass: plant biomass that contains cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignon

Cellulose: organic structural component compound found in plants, polysaccharide with a linear chain

Hemicellulose: similar to cellulose but has shorter chains that branch Lignon: organic polymer, gives the plants structure

cellulose hemicellulose lignon

RESEARCHRESEARCH

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL BIOMASS

Carboxylic groups: organic acid, has at least 1 carboxyl group Phenolic groups: also organic, has phenolic ring

Carboxylic acid Phenolic ring

PROCEDUREPROCEDURE

Preparation of Pumpkin (Stage 1): Four pumpkins were washed, stems and seeds removed, and sliced to uniform

thickness Pumpkin slices were dehydrated using residential oven for approximately four

hours After strips were thoroughly cooled, they were placed into blender and pulverized Pumpkin powder was stored in sanitized, labeled glass jars 3.00 g of sieved pumpkin powder from each pumpkin was combined and mixed to

create a homogeneous mixture of 12.0 g.

PROCEDUREPROCEDURE

Preparation of Metal Ion Solutions (Stage 2): 1 ppm solutions were prepared by pouring 4 ml of 1,000 ppm stock solution

into 250 ml volumetric flask (done for lead and chromium) 5 ppm were then prepared by pouring 20 ml of 1,000 ppm stock solution into

250 ml volumeteric flask (done for lead and chromium) Deionized water was added to prepare solutions with total volume of 250 ml This resulted in four solutions: 250 ml of lead in 1 ppm, 250 ml of lead in 5

ppm, 250 ml of chromium in 1 ppm, 250 ml of chromium in 5 ppm Automatic pH probe was calibrated and solutions were titrated with sodium

hydroxide in order to increase pH

PROCEDUREPROCEDURE

Combining Pumpkin Powder and Metal Solutions (Stage 3): 15 ml of each of the four metal solutions were poured into six labeled

centrifuge tubes resulting in 24 experimental samples Appropriate pumpkin dosage was then added (either 0.050 g or 0.50 g) 13 additional control samples were also prepared All samples were placed onto Orbital Shake Table overnight Samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for five minutes Samples were then vacuum filtered using 45 micron filter paper for 30 secs Filtered samples were transferred to labeled ICP vials and run through ICP

DATADATA

100%(1.06)

32.5%(0.344) 15.4%

(0.174)0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

LEAD PRESENT- Before and after treatment

DATADATA

100% (4.72)

22.5%(1.06)

21.1%(0.996)

0

1

2

3

4

5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

LEAD PRESENT- Before and after treatment

DATADATA

100%(0.991)

70.0% (0.694) 61.7%

(0.611)

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

CHROMIUM PRESENT- Before and after treatment

DATADATA

100%(4.81)

71.3%(3.43) 59.9%

(2.88)

0

1

2

3

4

5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

CHROMIUM PRESENT- Before and after treatment

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

General Conclusion

Pumpkin Dosage

100%(1.06)

32.5%(0.344) 15.4%

(0.174)0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

LEAD PRESENT- Before and after treatment

100% (4.72)

22.5%(1.06)

21.1%(0.996)

0

1

2

3

4

5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

LEAD PRESENT- Before and after treatment

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

General Conclusion

Pumpkin Dosage

100%(0.991)

70.0% (0.694) 61.7%

(0.611)

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

CHROMIUM PRESENT- Before and after treatment

100%(4.81)

71.3%(3.43) 59.9%

(2.88)

0

1

2

3

4

5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

pp

m)

Control 0.50 g 0.05 g

Samples

CHROMIUM PRESENT- Before and after treatment