Engineering student has a fruit peel solution for Bellandur Lake woes
Aditi Gyanesh | TNN | Updated: Feb 9, 2019, 06:33 IST
Pavan said the treated water can be used for non-drinking purposes.BENGALURU: Intrigued by the frothing of Bellandur Lake on his way to college, a second-year undergraduate student with MVJ College of Engineering, Whitefield, has come up with a filtration process using fruit peels.
Pavan A, who is studying aeronautical engineering, tested the process at the lab of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The results revealed that the treated water was fit for domestic uses other than drinking.
The KSPCB lab certificate, a copy of which is with TOI, stated that Pavan’s filtration process had brought down the pH level of the lake water from 6.8 to 4.08, fluoride content from 3.3mg/l to 0.27mg/l and phosphate from 23.5mg/l to 2.75mg/l.
“Frothing and fire in Bellandur Lake worried me every time I crossed the stretch or read about them in the news reports. About eight months ago, I thought of doing something about it instead of just blaming factories of polluting the lake,” said Pavan.
During his research, he analysed that along with volatile components in industrial effluents, the lake water also had fluoride and phosphate contents from household waste like detergents. “Ultimately, all this was leading to fire too,” he added.
After going through several research journals, Pavan collected peels of banana, pineapple, watermelon, citrus lemon and papaya from nearby juice shops for two days and sun-dried them for two weeks. “The peels were then converted into powder, using whihc I created several membranes. These were then activated with the help of hydrochloric acid before filtration process,” Pavan explained.
It took a day for five litres of water collected from Bellandur Lake to filter through the membranes. The treated water, Pavan said, was found to be usable for domestic purpose, but not for drinking.
Speaking of his long-term plan, Pavan said, “Currently, I am planning to create artificial membrane with the help of nanotechnology. A thick layer of these membranes can be laid on the lakebed to treat the water and make it usable.”
Pavan A, who is studying aeronautical engineering, tested the process at the lab of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The results revealed that the treated water was fit for domestic uses other than drinking.
The KSPCB lab certificate, a copy of which is with TOI, stated that Pavan’s filtration process had brought down the pH level of the lake water from 6.8 to 4.08, fluoride content from 3.3mg/l to 0.27mg/l and phosphate from 23.5mg/l to 2.75mg/l.
“Frothing and fire in Bellandur Lake worried me every time I crossed the stretch or read about them in the news reports. About eight months ago, I thought of doing something about it instead of just blaming factories of polluting the lake,” said Pavan.
During his research, he analysed that along with volatile components in industrial effluents, the lake water also had fluoride and phosphate contents from household waste like detergents. “Ultimately, all this was leading to fire too,” he added.
After going through several research journals, Pavan collected peels of banana, pineapple, watermelon, citrus lemon and papaya from nearby juice shops for two days and sun-dried them for two weeks. “The peels were then converted into powder, using whihc I created several membranes. These were then activated with the help of hydrochloric acid before filtration process,” Pavan explained.
It took a day for five litres of water collected from Bellandur Lake to filter through the membranes. The treated water, Pavan said, was found to be usable for domestic purpose, but not for drinking.
Speaking of his long-term plan, Pavan said, “Currently, I am planning to create artificial membrane with the help of nanotechnology. A thick layer of these membranes can be laid on the lakebed to treat the water and make it usable.”
more from times of india Cities
LATEST VIDEOS
All Comments ()+^ Back to Top
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.
HIDE