Contaminant removal from effluents through the use of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds for application in drinking and water resources recovery facilities and in ecuadorian rural communities

The proposed project is part of the multidisciplinary Moringa Project in Ecuador, where the main areas of investigation are based on science and engineering fields for application in drinking and water resources recovery facilities as well as in rural communities. This water project is led by Chemical and Mechanical Engineering members part of the Engineers Without Borders initiative from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. Moringa oleifera Lam. leafs, seeds and pods are characterized by having adsorptive properties and can be used as natural coagulants and flocculants, as well as filtration medium. Moringa varieties have become an environmental alternative to commonly used reagents used in drinking and wastewater treatment which have been proven to be more expensive than natural sorbents. Aware of the excessive cost of chemicals used in water treatment it is worth looking for substitutes and to propose new environmentally friendly technologies that could be adapted in drinking and water resources plants. Technically, results will help to gain insights about metal and emerging contaminant transport and fate, identify tracers, establish heavy metal removal methods, investigate and propose economically feasible removal methods, develop and implement unit operations at a pilot plant and larger scale, produce MO based products and technologies, and promote the strengthening of water quality regulations in Ecuador.