Design and Development of Nano Ceramic Water filter To Remove Heavy metals from ground water.

Abstract

Water contamination by heavy metals, particularly iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), represents a critical global health challenge, with concentrations often exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines (Fe < 0.1 mg/L, Mn < 0.3 mg/L). Conventional water purification methods frequently prove insufficient or economically unviable for resource-limited settings. This study aimed to design, develop and evaluate a novel nano ceramic filter by utilizing locally sourced clay and banana peel biochar for efficient heavy metal removal. The banana peels were sun-dried and nano-sized biochar produced by low-temperature pyrolysis (100°C) characterization of the biochar was done using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for particle size confirmation and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for functional group identification. The filter was fabricated as a composite structure with a biochar layer sandwiched between clay layers, dried for 12 days, and fired at 1000°C. Batch testing revealed remarkable initial removal efficiencies of: 99.91% for Fe (reducing from 1.11 mg/L to 0.001 mg/L) and 99.65% for Mn (reducing from 2.582 mg/L to 0.009 mg/L), both well within WHO standards. However, continuous filtering over 10 days showed a slight increase in concentrations of (Fe to 0.008 mg/L, Mn to 0.015 mg/L), indicating potential saturation or degradation of the filter over time. This study confirms the high initial efficacy and sustainable potential of the developed filter, while highlighting the necessity for further investigation into its long-term performance, mechanical durability, and scalability for broader application.