1. A green filtration assembly (100) for water purification, comprising: a first layer, wherein the first layer is a membrane filter (102); 5 a layer of cotton (104) placed above the first layer; a second layer (106) composed by successive layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104); a layer of charcoal (108) provided above the second layer (106); and a layer of plant powder (110) composed of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce 10 and Butea monosperma.

2. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer of charcoal (108) has a thickness ranging between 0.5-2 cm, the layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil have a thickness of 2-4 cm each. 15

3. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane filter is a whatman filter paper.

4. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 20 layer of charcoal (108) removes unwanted colored organic impurities, dyes, toxic compounds and associated typical taste and odor of water.

5. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma plants 25 leads to removal of microbial contamination and heavy metal ions without providing chemical pretreatment.

6. A green filtration apparatus (200) for water purification, comprising: a container (112) having an upper end and a lower end; 30 a first layer placed on a hose at the lower end of the container (112), wherein the first layer is a membrane filter (102); 23 a 2 cm layer of cotton (104) placed above the first layer; a second layer (106) composed by successive layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104); a layer of charcoal (108) provided above the second layer (106); and 5 a layer of plant powder (110) composed of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma, wherein the layer of plant powder (110) is provided at the upper end of the container (112).

7. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the 10 layer of charcoal (108) has a thickness ranging between 0.5-2 cm, the layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil have a thickness of 2-4 cm each.

8. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the membrane filter is a whatman filter paper and the layer of charcoal (108) 15 that removes unwanted colored organic impurities, dyes, toxic compounds and associated typical taste and odor of water.

9. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the powder of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma plants in 20 1:1 ratio leads to removal of microbial contamination and heavy metal ions without providing chemical pretreatment.

10. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper end of the container (112) is for drawing water from a water source 25 and releasing the water into the layer of plant powder (110).

The present invention relates to a water purification assembly. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a green filtration assembly for
water purification.
5 BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
[0002] The importance of water purification is expanding as the condition
of water supplies becomes increasingly polluted. Many bodies of water have
become contaminated to a degree in which the water is not useable unless it is
first purified to remove contaminants. The demand for purified water has also
10 increased in recent years as consumers become more health-conscious. The
quality of drinking water is coming under closer scrutiny, as evidenced by the
popularity of brand-name bottled waters.
[0003] A safe drinking water supply is a fundamental requirement worldwide.
However, more than one billion people lack an adequate supply of
15 safe drinking water. In developing countries and in very rural or remote areas,
the critical need is for a drinking water supply free of contamination which can
cause acute and potentially fatal illnesses such as bacterial, parasitic and viral
diseases. The World Bank estimated in 1992 that more than two million
children under five years of age die of diarrhea each year because they do not
20 have access to clean water. Therefore, the goal in these areas is to
provide drinking water which meets World Health Organization (WHO)
guidelines for "turbidity" and "microbiological and biological content."
[0004] References have been made to the following patents:
[0005] KR101475137B1 relates to an eco-green type pretreatment, sorting
25 treatment, and a method of reprocessing and recycling a screened product.
Extraction of a particular substance 1 prior to excavation or acquisition or
transfer, injection of a particular substance 2, extraction of a particular
substance 1 and re-injection or re-injection after filtration or re-injection with a
particular substance 2, or filtration Afterwards. In order to remove at least one
3
of odor, odor, dust, and dust generated, it is necessary to spray at least one of
deodorant and water-sprayed water at or near the excavation point and remove
at least one of odor, odor, dust. It can be recycled, buried or incinerated as fuel
by at least one of non-molding, molding, and packaging, and one of the non5 treated, purified, To the recycle phase to the normal soil, seongtojae, boktojae,
filler, at least one of the land-improving agent, and crushing the crude objective
of the screening of water and is characterized in that the recycled
aggregate, gravel, sand, at least one of earth and sand.
[0006] US20110272349A1 relates to a plant and a method for the treatment and
10 disposal of waste water containing salts and oil, in particular produced water,
comprising at least one settling area for receiving the waste water and for
separating oil proportions from the waste water, at least one subsequent reed
bed area having plants for the uptake and degradation of contaminants in the
waste water, at least one modular basin area, and at least one saline area for the
15 reception of the residual water from the modular basin area and for the
evaporation of water and the concentration of salt.
[0007] US5873996A relates to a process and apparatus for producing
purified drinking water from surface or ground fresh water sources using no
chemical pretreatment or coagulants, by usage of a positively-charged filtration
20 media to attract the typically negatively-charged suspended solids present in
the water source. The process, which can be portable, includes a filtration
system having a filtration/recirulcation/backwash component and a disinfection
step. This process produces drinking water which meets or exceeds the
guidelines set by the World Health Organization for turbidity and
25 microbiological content.
[0008] Thus, in the view of above prior art, water borne pathogens and associated
diseases are a major public health concern globally. Since last many years
various water filtration assemblies have been prepared and employed for
improving water quality. However, their availability, cost, efficiency and
30 sustainability remain an issue every time.
4
[0009] In line to this, present invention relates to overcome the obstacles of the
prior art and emphasizes on the development of a phyto-based water filtration
unit to remove some common pathogenic microbial impurities along with dyes
and heavy metals to improve water quality suitable for human consumption.
5 [0010] The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is
only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the
invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of
suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person
skilled in the art.
10 OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A principal object of the present invention is to provide a
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly to remove water-borne microbial
pathogens.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide the phytodisinfectant
15 water filtration assembly comprising of activated charcoal, bark of Prosopis
cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub as phytodisinfectant.
[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for plant
based water filtration assembly.
20 [0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide the plant-based water
filtration assembly to highlight active compounds present in plant material
responsible for water purification and provide water, free from heavy metal
impurities and dyes.
[0015] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cost25 effective, robust and house hold community drinking water purification
assembly.
5
[0016] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, which is portable to allow
operation in immediate vicinity of surface or ground fresh water.
[0017] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will
5 be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following
detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in
which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In an important embodiment the present invention is to provide a novel
10 phyto-based water filtration assembly for treatment of drinking water
containing microbial pathogens and heavy metals comprising: a first filtering
collector tank having an upper end and a lower end; top layer of powder of
plants Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.
followed by a 0.5-2 cm layer of granular activated carbon; followed by
15 successive layers of coarse soil, fine soil and gravels; and a layer of cotton
separating the top layers with a lowermost layer of Whatman filter paper on
hose connected to the lower end of the collector tank.
[0019] In yet another embodiment the upper end of the tank is for drawing water
from a water source and releasing the water into the top phytolayer of plants
20 powder.
[0020] In another embodiment the powder of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and
Butea monosperma plants leads to removal of the microbial contamination and
heavy metal ions without providing chemical pretreatment.
[0021] In another embodiment the granular activated carbon module is charcoal,
25 which removes unwanted colored organic impurities, dyes, toxic compounds
and micro-organisms and associated typical taste and odor of water and the
coarse soil, fine soil and gravels layers has a thickness of 2-4cm each.
[0022] In a preferred embodiment the method for treatment of drinking water
containing microbial pathogens and heavy metals comprises of a water tank
6
with retention layer containing atleast a plant powder and charcoal for
microbial and heavy metals retention; a bed of coarse soil, fine soil and gravels
for containing water treatment residues; an inlet directing drinking water into
the retention layer; allowing water to flow downward through the filter layer
5 with a decrease in said content of at least 85-95%.
[0023] In another embodiment the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly is
highly sustainable, with minimum maintenance and operational cost and is
capable of filtering minimum 14 litres of water per day.
[0024] In yet another embodiment the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly
10 is recyclable, adsorbs large quantities of harmful substances and is applicable
for the remediation of well and ponds water with 6-8 pH range.
[0025] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any
way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features
described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become
15 apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only
typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be
considered for limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other
20 equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with
reference to the accompanying figures. Some embodiments of system or
methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now
described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures,
in which:
25 [0027] Fig. 1 illustrates a design of a phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly,
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] Figs. 2 (a) and (b) illustrate FT-IR spectra of B. monosperma and P.
cineraria and Figs. 2 (c) and (d) illustrate SEM image of B. monosperma and
P. cineraria, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
7
[0029] Fig. 3 (a) and (b) illustrates the water quality before and after filtration
through the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] Fig. 4 illustrates the influence of different ratio of coarse sand to fine sand
5 (C:F) on flow rates through the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] Fig. 5 illustrates effect of pH on heavy metal removal efficiency of
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention.
10 [0032] Fig. 6 illustrates the effect of adsorbent dose on removal efficiency of
heavy metals through phytodisinfectant water filtration, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0033] The figure depicts embodiments of the present subject matter for the
purposes of illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize
15 from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures
and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the
principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various
20 modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been
shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should
be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the
particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the
25 disclosure.
[0035] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used
in the disclosure, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a
device, system, assembly that comprises a list of components does not include
only those components but may include other components not expressly listed
8
or inherent to such system, or assembly, or device. In other words, one or more
elements in a system or device proceeded by “comprises… a” does not,
without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional
elements in the system or device.
5 [0036] The present subject matter relates to a novel community drinking water
purification assembly, comprising of phyto-disinfectant source and powdered
activated carbon for filtration of soluble and particulate contaminants,
including pathogenic microbial impurities, along with dyes and heavy metals to
improve water quality suitable for human consumption.
10 [0037] Reference may be made to Fig. 1 illustrating a design of a
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0038] Reference may be made to Figs. 2 (a) and (b) illustrating FT-IR spectra of
B. monosperma and P. cineraria and Figs. 2 (c) and (d) illustrating SEM image
15 of B. monosperma and P. cineraria, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0039] Reference may be made to Fig. 3 illustrates the water quality before and
after filtration through the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
20 [0040] Reference may be made to Fig. 4 illustrating influence of different ratio of
coarse sand to fine sand (C:F) on flow rates through the phytodisinfectant
water filtration assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0041] Reference may be made to Fig. 5 illustrating effect of pH on heavy metal
25 removal efficiency of phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
9
[0042] Reference may be made to Fig. 6 illustrating effect of adsorbent dose on
removal efficiency of heavy metals through phytodisinfectant water filtration
assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0043] In accordance with an embodiment, the present invention relates to a novel
5 green water purification assembly, presenting the efficacy of B. monosperma
and P. cineraria bark against Enterobacter cloacae bacteria present in drinking
water in rural areas of Newai (26°2′57.7″N 75°56′28.6″E), Tonk, Rajasthan,
India. It has been reported that percentage of Enterobacter cloacae is high in
drinking water used in local area of Tonk. Thus, an effort has been made to
10 remove Enterobacter cloacae from drinking water and make it more
consumable. The novel green water filtration assembly (phytodisinfectant or
phytobased water filtration assembly) (100) has been developed using B.
monosperma and P. cineraria bark, which particularly removes the bacteria
and heavy metals (chromium and cadmium) present in drinking water. For this,
15 various parameters have been examined such as physicochemical analysis (pH,
TDS, alkalinity, hardness and BOD), microbiological analysis (agar diffusion
method), flow rate, recyclability, sustainability and removal of heavy metals
from drinking water, which is being used in local area of Tonk. The
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly is a low-cost technology compared
20 to constructed and conventional water treatment technologies. Also, this costeffective, affordable, biodegradable and can be applicable in villages, for the
remediation of well and ponds water.
[0044] Example 1: The phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly (100) is
deigned and constructed by placing various layer of materials; first layer i.e., a
25 membrane filter (102) was made of Whatman filter paper on hose connected to
a collector tank, which was separated by a layer of cotton (104), a second layer
(106) was composed of gravels, coarse and fine soil (2-4 cm each, preferably 3
cm each), followed by a layer of charcoal (having thickness in a range between
0.5-2 cm, preferably 1 cm) (108), and a layer of plant powder (namely
30 Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.) (110) as
10
shown in Fig. 1. A knob was fixed at top of the bottle. The whole setup was
fixed in such a way that filtered water may be collected and stored. Water was
allowed to pass from the top through different layers in assembly to produce
safe water i.e., free from bacteria and heavy metals for human consumption.
5 The phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly (100) may be incorporated in a
container or tank or the like and thus forms a phytodisinfectant water filtration
appararus (200).
[0045] That is, the green filtration assembly (phytodisinfectant water filtration
assembly) (100) for water purification comprises a first layer, wherein the first
10 layer is a membrane filter (102), a layer of cotton 2 cm (104) placed above the
first layer, a second layer (106) composed by successive layers of gravels,
coarse and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104), a layer of charcoal
(108) provided above the second layer (106) and a layer of plant powder (110)
composed of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma (1:1).
15 [0046] The layer of charcoal (108) has a thickness ranging between 0.5-2 cm, the
layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil have a thickness of 2-4 cm each. The
layer of charcoal (108) removes unwanted colored organic impurities, dyes,
toxic compounds and associated typical taste and odor of water. The powder of
Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma plants leads to removal
20 of microbial contamination and heavy metal ions without providing chemical
pretreatment.
[0047] Further, the green filtration apparatus (phytodisinfectant water filtration
appararus) (200) comprises a container (112) having an upper end and a lower
end, the first layer placed on a hose at the lower end of the container (112),
25 wherein the first layer is a membrane filter (102), the layer of cotton (104)
placed above the first layer, the second layer (106) composed by successive
layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104),
the layer of charcoal (108) provided above the second layer (106) and the layer
of plant powder (110) composed of 1:1 ratio of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce
30 and Butea monosperma, wherein the layer of plant powder (110) is provided at
11
the upper end of the container (112). The upper end of the container (112) is
for drawing water from a water source and releasing the water into the layer of
plant powder (110).
[0048] Material and Methods: Procurement of raw material: Material used in
5 the construction of water filtration assembly included washed gravels, coarse
and fine soil; charcoal; 2 L carrying capacity of a glass container, 9 cm in
diameter of glass container, 1½ yards hose; sieve; filter membrane; and Butea
monosperma and Prosopis cineraria powder. All these materials were washed
repeatedly with clean water and sterilized before use.
10 [0049] The barks of B. monosperma and P. cineraria plant were collected during
rainy season from rural areas of Newai (26°2′57.7″N 75°56′28.6″E), Tonk,
Rajasthan, India and authenticated by a taxonomist Dr. Afroj Alam (Botanist)
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith,
Rajasthan, India. The specimen voucher numbers were obtained BURI15 1360/2017 and BURI-1361/2017 of B. monosperma and P. cineraria
respectively. The selected plant material was submitted in the herbarium of the
Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India for further references.
[0050] Drinking water sample was collected from hand-pump of Hingotiya
village from Newai (26.3824°N 75.924°E), Tonk, Rajasthan, India. Samples
20 were collected and stored in sterilized (autoclaving at 121ºC, 15 pounds/sq.
inch for 20 min) screw-cap glass bottles in duplicates. The samples were
transported to the laboratory in sterilized glass bottles and stored at 4ºC.
[0051] Characterization of plant powder: The characterization of plant barks
was done by Fourier transformation infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and
25 scanning emission microscopy (SEM). The bark of B. monosperma and P.
cinerariacontains high quantities of tannin and catechin. FT-IR spectra analysis
of bark of B. monosperma and P. cinerariaare shown in Figs. 2 (a) and (b).
Both plants basically contained N-containing bioligans from 480 to 650 cm-1
,
PO4
-3 stretching and bending of OH groups from 950 to 1150 cm-1, CO stretch
12
from 1300 to 1500 cm-1, Carboxylic group and NH bending from 1500 to 1600
cm-1, Carboxylic groups at 1670 cm-1, C=O carbonyl groups from 1680 to 1740
cm-1, CH stretching and OH carboxylic acids from 2800 to 2900 cm-1, and
bonded -OH groups from 3000 to 3500 cm-1. Among them, the largest and
widest peak was 3000- 3600 cm-1. In particular, the peak of 3000-6000 cm-1 5
was deeper in both plants. This indicates that plants contain -OH, carboxylic,
and cyanide groups. In addition, the tannin component of B. monosperma and
P. cinerariahas a large number of phenolic hydroxyl groups (hydroxyl groups,
-OH) and has heavy metal adsorption capacity.
10 [0052] In general, the functional group with the highest heavy metal adsorption
capacity, known as the carboxyl group dissociates to COO- and H+
in aqueous
solution, and when above a certain pK, most of it transforms to COO-, and the
cationic heavy metal is efficiently adsorbed. The mechanism of adsorption of
heavy metals by biomaterials is not well known, but the reason for the
15 adsorption is that the functional groups in the polymeric materials in the cell
tissues are coordinated with heavy metals. These functional groups are known
to include -COOH, NH2
-
-PO4, -SO4, C6H5
-
, >CO, (NH2)
3C-NH-, and -OH. Of
the substances in the living body, carbohydrates and proteins have these
functional groups. In addition, cell walls consist of cellulose, galactan, etc., and
it has been stated that the -OH, -CH2OSO3
- 20 , etc. contained in the molecules of
galactan, -COOH, and -OH, which are mainly contained in cellulose, are
involved in coordination bonding with heavy metals.
[0053] A scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of bark of B. monosperma
and P. cinerariais shown in Figs. 2 (c) and (d) that depicts very irregular and
25 porous in nature surface of B. monosperma and P. cinerariais. These porous
and irregular surfaces are believed to be very helpful for adsorbing heavy metal
ions. In addition, the surface of the B. monosperma and P. cineraria is
composed of multiple layers of thin films that may be useful to adsorb heavy
metals.
13
[0054] Example 2: Evaluation of water quality after filtration from the green
filtration assembly: Evaluation of water quality was done with respect to
various parameters such as:-
[0055] Evaluation of physical parameters of water after filtration: Physical
5 analysis of water samples indicated that exposure of plant material did not
cause any alteration in color, taste and odour of water samples. Notably,
physical appearance of treated water samples was more transparent to untreated
water samples which contained foam and suspended particles. Moreover, pH,
temperature, E.C. and TDS of treated water samples were found in desirable
10 limits IS 10500:2012 as shown in Table 1.
[0056] Results of physical analysis revealed that mixing of both plant materials
were effective in maintaining or restoring normal physical properties in water
sample.
[0057] Evaluation of chemical parameters of water after filtration: The
15 quantitative analysis some organic and inorganic compounds in unfiltered and
filtered water samples were determined following APHA guidelines (2005) and
compared with WHO (2017) and IS 10500:2012 standard guidelines (Table 1).
Crude powder showed better efficacy in maintaining desired physicochemical
values in water samples.
20 Table: - 1 Physicochemical analysis of water after filtration
Water samples Permission limits Water samples
before filtration
Water
samples
after
filtration
Expressed
with units
WHO
(2017)
ISO
10500:20
12
pH 6.5-9.5 6.5-8.5 7.62 7.0 -
Temperature (°C) - - 28-30 °C
E.C. (µmho/cm) - 750-900 1034 811 EC,
µmho/cm
TDS (mg/L) 600-1000 500-2000 629.7 527 TDS, mg/L
14
[0058] Evaluation of microbiological parameters of water after filtration: The
total coliform bacterial colonies of Enterobacter cloacaewere found in
unfiltered water samples where microbial counts were too numerous to count
5 (TNTC). However, water samples passed through phytodisinfectant water
filtration assembly containing B. monosperma and P. cineraria crude powder
showed significantly low colony forming units in water sample with 85-93 %
inhibition of coliform bacterial growth per 1000 mL water sample when
compared to untreated water sample as shown in Fig. 3.
10 [0059] Determination of flow rate: The flow rate of filtered water achieved was
approximately 20ml/minute and 1000 ml/h. The rates were dependent on the
ratio of coarse sand to fine sand (C:F). With addition of fine sand, the elasticity
of the coarse sand is lost. For this reason, the 55:45 and 50:50 filters were
Total
alkalinity
> 200 300-600 200 314 TA, mg/L
Total hardness < 500 300-600 700 185 TH, mg/L
Calcium
hardness
100-300 75-200 210 78.08424 Ca2+H, mg/L
Calcium ion 100-300 75-200 84.1 195 Ca2+, mg/L
Magnesium ion < 100 30-100 490 106.9158 Mg2+, mg/L
Chloride ion > 250 250-1000 219.9 389.8791 Cl-
, mg/L
Phosphate ion - 5.0 32 4.47 PO4
3-, mg/L
Sulphate ion 250 150-400 330 179.5784 SO4
2-, mg/L
Dissolved
oxygen - 2.0-5.0 4.8 4 DO, mg/L
Biological
oxygen
demand - 30-100 78 44.58621 BOD, mg/L
Chemical
oxygen
demand - < 250 90 335.8587 COD, mg/L
Chromium 0.05 0.05 10.02 Cr, mg/L
Cadmium 0.003 0.01 9.43 Cd, mg/L
15
made from inelastic mould of sand that implied making filters with thicker
walls to compensate for the inelasticity. As a result, their flow rates decreased
with the 50:50 filters having the lowest flow rate. The flow rates could be
enhanced without compromising the efficiency of the filters by reducing the
5 wall thickness of the filters and making larger filters that could accommodate
more water. The flow rates are graphically presented in Fig. 4.
[0060] Recyclability of phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly: The
quality of the water obtained from the phytodisinfectant water filtration
assembly established optimal condition. The pH value of the filtered water did
10 not change and was the same (7.2). The concentration of TDS, hardness,
calcium, magnesium, alkalinity and chloride was 559.26 mg/L, 235 mg/L,
90.097 mg/L, 144.9028 mg/L, 374 mg/L and 589.81 mg/L respectively.
[0061] Evaluation of heavy metals after filtration: Effect of initial heavy
metal concentration: To investigate the effect of initial concentration of heavy
15 metals on the removal rate, the concentration of heavy metals was controlled to
10 ppm and the results are shown in Fig. 6. Since the amount of adsorbent and
the adsorption time must be determined according to the initial concentration
of heavy metals, the effect of the initial concentration of heavy metal on the
removal rate is determined via a basic experiment for deriving the optimum
20 condition of the adsorption process. Experimental results showthat both B.
monosperma and P. cineraria bark have higher removal efficiencies of Cr and
Cd than 94.44% and 94.04%, at a concentration of Cr and Cd of 280 and 120
ppm respectively. As the initial concentration of Cd andCr increased, the rate
of removal also reached the equilibriumpoint quickly. That is, as the
25 concentration of heavy metals wasreduced, the adsorption efficiency increased.
This is because, as the concentration was reduced, the probability of adsorption
to the adsorbent per ion increased. Both B. monosperma and P. cineraria bark
had the highest removal efficiency for Cr, followed by Cd. Cr forms stronger
metal hydroxides (MeOH) than Cd under neutral pH conditions,and these
30 hydroxides strongly bind to the functional groupson the B. monosperma and P.
16
cineraria bark surface. Adsorption by this bond is known to bestronger than
adsorption by simple electrostatic attraction, and it isknown that Cr adsorbs
more strongly on the surface of B. monosperma and P. cineraria bark and
oxides than Cd.
5 [0062] Effect of pH: Temperature, pH, alkalinity, and static materials are the
main influential factors for adsorbing and removing organic and inorganic
materials in aqueous solution. In particular, the pH in the aqueous solution has
a significant influence on the removal of organic and inorganic matter.
[0063] To investigate the effect of pH on Cr, and Cd removal by B. monosperma
10 and P. cineraria bark, the pH was adjusted to 2-8. The experimental results
show that Cr has a high removal rate up to pH 4, while Cd has a high removal
rate above pH 7 (Fig. 5). The effect of the pH of the solution on metal ion
adsorption can be explained based on the pH at the point of adsorption (pHPZC).
The rapid increase in adsorption efficiency seems to be related to the ion
15 exchange mechanism. At low pH values (below pH 4.0), high concentrations of
H
+
ions compete with Cr, and Cd for exchangeable cations on the adsorbent
surface, inhibiting the adsorption of heavy metals on the B. monosperma and P.
cineraria bark surface. However, as the pH value increases, the exchangeable
cations on the adsorbent surface become less competitive with the adsorption
of H+ 20 ions, so the heavy metals are exchanged with Me(OH)2 and Me(OH)3,
and the adsorption increases significantly. In general, heavy metals in aqueous
solution exist in the form of hydroxides of Cr(OH) and Cd(OH) and the heavy
metals are precipitated in the form of Cr(OH)2 and Cd(OH)2 in neutral or
alkaline conditions. Therefore, the increasing of pH can affect the removal
25 efficiency for Cd and Cr. On the other hand, the removal efficiency for Cr and
Cd were 50% to 78 % at low pH values (pH 4-7). It can be seen that the
components of the surface of the adsorbent according to the FT-IR analysis
play an important role in the adsorption of heavy metals. In general, the surface
adsorption mechanism of heavy metals is affected by the pH of the reaction
30 medium, the surface characteristics of the adsorbent, and the characteristics of
17
heavy metals. As a result, Cd and Cr showed high removal efficiency above pH
4.
[0064] Considering that the pH of water sample is about 6-8, when the B.
monosperma and P. cineraria bark are adsorbed and the heavy metals are
5 adsorbed in the aqueous solution, they can be applied to the field without
controlling the pH. B. monosperma and P. cineraria bark are used as a bio
adsorbent, it is eco-friendly because it does not require a chemical agent, and it
is very useful in resource recycling.
[0065] Effect of adsorbent dose: The ability to adsorb large quantities of
10 harmful substances with an inexpensive, eco-friendly adsorbent is very
important both economically and environmentally. The initial concentration of
Cr and Cd was fixed at 10 ppm and the removal efficiency was determined
through experiment by increasing the concentration of efficiency for Cr and Cd
were more than 94.44% and 94.044 % in the adsorbents amount for Cr removal
15 was 280 ppm and for Cd was 120 ppm. The amount of adsorption depends on
the state of the adsorption surface. As the barks of B. monosperma and P.
cineraria, the water contained in the bark escapes. As a result, the surface of
the B. monosperma and P. cineraria becomes rough and uneven. As the
amount of adsorbent increased, the adsorption amount of the heavy metal
20 increased. This is because, as the adsorbent increases, the surface area where
heavy metals can be adsorbed increases, and the probability of adsorption to
the adsorbent per ion increases. Therefore, when adsorbing and removing
heavy metals using B. monosperma and P. cineraria, the amount of adsorbent
is recommended to be 280 ppm for Cr and 120 ppm for Cd. The result is shown
25 in Figs. 6a and 6b. The removal efficiency for Cr was more than 90% in the
adsorbents amount of B. monosperma and P. cineraria. The amount of
adsorption depends on the state of the adsorption surface. As the barks dry, the
water contained in the bark of B. monosperma and P. cinerariaescapes. As a
result, the surface of the barks becomes rough and uneven. Then, the specific
30 surface area of B. monosperma and P. cineraria bark increased, and the change
18
of surface of the adsorbent were assumed to have facilitated the adsorption of
heavy metal ions. As the amount of adsorbent increased, the adsorption amount
of the heavy metal increased. This is because, as the adsorbent increases, the
surface area where heavy metals can be adsorbed increases, and the probability
5 of adsorption to the adsorbent per ion increases. Therefore, when adsorbing
and removing heavy metals using bark of B. monosperma and P. cineraria, the
amount of adsorbent are recommended to be 280 ppm for Cr and 120 ppm for
Cd.
[0066] Adsorption isotherms and kinetics models: In this study, the Langmuir,
10 Freundlich, isotherms were employed to define the relationship between the
adsorbate in the liquid phase and the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent.
The isothermal adsorption experiments were applied to the Langmuir and
Freundlich isotherms. The parameter values obtained by applying to the
isothermal adsorption equations are shown in Table 2. Isothermal adsorption
15 experiments were carried out with varying initial heavy metal concentrations
ranging from 10 to 360 ppm to investigate the adsorption capacity of bark
powder depending on the concentration of Cr and Cd. Experimental results
showed that the adsorption capacity of the two heavy metals (Cr, Cd) increased
with increasing initial concentration of heavy metals, and then reached
20 equilibrium. These results suggest that the surface of the biomaterial is
gradually filled with the adsorbate, the heavy metal, and the effective
adsorption area is decreased. In addition, the isothermal adsorption line appears
nonlinear because the energy of the adsorption site is not uniform in the state
where the adsorption site is saturated by the adsorbate, and is due to the
25 electrostatic repulsion between the adsorbent and adsorbate. Due to the
heterogeneity of these adsorbate surfaces, the rate of increase of the adsorption
amount decreases. This tendency is frequently observed in the adsorption
reaction where ion exchange reaction is predominant. Conversely, competitive
adsorption occurs between the solutes on the adsorption site when the
30 adsorption is linear, when it is known that non-competitive adsorption occurs.
19
[0067] When the heavy metal adsorption reaches equilibrium, the amount of
adsorbed per ppm weight of the adsorbent is the equilibrium concentration
constant of the residual heavy metal ion, which is usually followed by the
Langmuir or Freundlich isothermal adsorption model. The application of the
5 Langmuir model is suitable when the energy of the adsorbed surface is
unevenly distributed, such as for activated carbon. Moreover, the adsorption
constantof Cr and Cd was 0.9909 and 0.9397, respectively, indicating that Cr
and Cd had the same adsorption constant. Generally, as the value of the
adsorption constant KF increases, the adsorbing ability of the adsorbent also
10 increases. The results of applying this experiment to theLangmuir model show
that the correlation coefficient (R2
) of Cr and Cd was 0.9909 and 0.9397
(Table 2) respectively, which is relatively equal than that of the Freundlich
model. From the above results, it can be concluded that the adsorption of bark
powderis compatible with the Freundlich isothermal adsorption, resulting in an
15 ion exchange reaction in the uneven adsorption surface layer. The equal of
adsorption capacity is due to the equality in the molecular size, affinity, and
electronegativity of heavy metal ions. The heavy metal adsorption of
bioabsorbable materials is due to the heavy metal selectivity of the functional
groups of the bioabsorbable material.
20 [0068] Table: - 2 Adsorption kinetics and isotherms constant and correlation
coefficient for the adsorption of Cr and Cd onto dried powder of B.
monosperma and P. cineraria bark
MODELS PARAMETERS CR CD
LANGMUIR ISOTHERM
CE/QE=1/(KBAS)+CE/AS
QM(MG/G)
KL(L/MG)
R
2
0.9909 0.9397
20
FREUNDLICH ISOTHERM KF(MG/G)
N
R
2
0.7684 0.8491
[0069] Sustainability of phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly: The
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly can be installed in any place or
existing water body without any digging/earth moving, and can remove
pollutants from the water without additional land acquisition. While utilizing
5 the power of nature like sand, gravels, polluted water can be cleaned by
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly in a sustainable way, with minimum
maintenance and operational cost. The phytodisinfectant water filtration
assembly is capable of filtering 14 litres of water per day and the
phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly does not require any complex
10 technological tool for its installation. Moreover, its operation and maintenance
do not need any synthetic chemical input. Therefore, low capital and
minimum/no operational costs make this technology an affordable and
applicable approach, especially in villages, for the remediation of well and
ponds water. Overall, the phytodisinfectant water filtration assembly is a low15 cost technology compared with constructed and conventional water treatment
technologies.
[0070] Advantages of the invention: 1. Provides a novel and reliable method for
producing potable drinking water. 2. A cost effective and sustainable novel
phyto-based disinfectant assembly for effective removal of water-borne
20 pathogen. 3. It can also inhibit other microbial contaminants. 4. It involves
minimal capital, labour and resources. 5. It can be used virtually anywhere
where there is a ground or surface fresh water source nearby. 6. This process
produces drinking water which meets or exceeds the guidelines set by the
World Health Organization for turbidity and microbiological content.
25 [0071] Although embodiments for the present subject matter have been described
in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the present
21
subject matter is not necessarily limited to the specific features described.
Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as embodiments for the
present subject matter. Numerous modifications and adaptations of the
system/component of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in
5 the art, and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such
modifications and adaptations which fall within the scope of the present subject
matter.

CLAIMS
We Claim:
1. A green filtration assembly (100) for water purification, comprising:
a first layer, wherein the first layer is a membrane filter (102);
5 a layer of cotton (104) placed above the first layer;
a second layer (106) composed by successive layers of gravels, coarse
and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104);
a layer of charcoal (108) provided above the second layer (106); and
a layer of plant powder (110) composed of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce
10 and Butea monosperma.
2. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
layer of charcoal (108) has a thickness ranging between 0.5-2 cm, the
layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil have a thickness of 2-4 cm each.
15
3. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
membrane filter is a whatman filter paper.
4. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
20 layer of charcoal (108) removes unwanted colored organic impurities,
dyes, toxic compounds and associated typical taste and odor of water.
5. The green filtration assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
powder of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma plants
25 leads to removal of microbial contamination and heavy metal ions without
providing chemical pretreatment.
6. A green filtration apparatus (200) for water purification, comprising:
a container (112) having an upper end and a lower end;
30 a first layer placed on a hose at the lower end of the container (112),
wherein the first layer is a membrane filter (102);
23
a 2 cm layer of cotton (104) placed above the first layer;
a second layer (106) composed by successive layers of gravels, coarse
and fine soil placed above the layer of cotton (104);
a layer of charcoal (108) provided above the second layer (106); and
5 a layer of plant powder (110) composed of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce
and Butea monosperma, wherein the layer of plant powder (110) is
provided at the upper end of the container (112).
7. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
10 layer of charcoal (108) has a thickness ranging between 0.5-2 cm, the
layers of gravels, coarse and fine soil have a thickness of 2-4 cm each.
8. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
membrane filter is a whatman filter paper and the layer of charcoal (108)
15 that removes unwanted colored organic impurities, dyes, toxic compounds
and associated typical taste and odor of water.
9. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
powder of Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce and Butea monosperma plants in
20 1:1 ratio leads to removal of microbial contamination and heavy metal ions
without providing chemical pretreatment.
10. The green filtration apparatus (200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
upper end of the container (112) is for drawing water from a water source
25 and releasing the water into the layer of plant powder (110).