Natural Filtration Agents in Action: The Impact of Seaweed and Fruit Peels on Water Quality

Overview

Lack of hard water purification solutions costs American corporations $25 billion annually due to extra energy usage, maintenance, and premature replacement. To support environmental sustainability and improve efficiency of water purification, this experiment tested how combinations of seaweeds and fruit peels remove magnesium and calcium from water. It was predicted that L. hyperborea, containing 30% alginate and 10% fucoidan, would filter more magnesium and calcium than M. pyrifera because its additional 10% alginate provides more -COOH groups per mannuronic or guluronic acid unit for ionic binding to the heavy metals in water. It was predicted that banana peels would filter more magnesium and calcium from water than orange peels, since bananas have more adsorption properties and are more anionic than oranges. Purees of seaweed and fruit peels were cooked with glycerin and agar and made into resins, which then were submerged in water. Test strips were placed in water to measure remaining magnesium and calcium. The first hypothesis was supported since banana resins' averages of 27 and 15.5 ppm, filtered more magnesium and calcium than the orange resins' averages of 38 and 29 ppm. The second hypothesis was also supported, as L. hyperborea filtered more magnesium and calcium from the water compared to M. pyrifera. On average, L. hyperborea individually had 50 ppm magnesium and 39 ppm calcium; 44.6 and 35 with orange peels; and 36.5 and 23 with banana peels. M. pyrifera individually had 53.7 ppm and 55.7 ppm; 48 and 42.5 with oranges; and 37.5 and 24 with bananas.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Chemistry (Junior Division) · Entry J-05-09

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