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Undergraduate Theses

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Keyword: search.filters.keyword.WaterSDG: search.filters.sdg.SDG 14 - Life below water

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    Mud crab (Scylla serrata) shells for the removal of humic acids from Santa Barbara well water
    Asdillo, Reina Jean A. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2010-04)
    The chemical contamination of drinking water from a wide range of contaminants such as humic acids can potentially lead to health-related in living organisms, especially humans. In rural areas of the Philippines, the use of low cost methods to remove water pollutants is, therefore, of great interest. In this study, osterized mud crab (Scylla serrata) shells or exoskeletons from cooked crab wastes were used to remove humic acids from the Santa Barbara well water. Adsorption experiments were done to evaluate its capacity to remove humic acids from the well water. Adsorption Isotherms and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy were employed to study the characteristics of the adsorption of humic acids onto the OSSE (osterized Scylla serrata exoskeletons). Adsorption experiments showed that at an average 1.0010 g of OSSE and after six hours of agitation, an average 74.95% of humic substances were removed from 50 mL of Montinola, Santa Barbara well water sample. Isotherm experiments showed that the experimental data can be fitted in both Langmuir and Freundlich models with low K values of 0.0235 L/mg and 0.4450 (mg/g)(L/mg), respectively. Based on the results of the above experiments, OSSE is a good adsorbent for humic acids in well waters (although more research need to be done on the removal of the substances remaining in the water after OSSE treatment) and the U-OSSE (used osterized Scylla serrata exoskeletons) can possibly be recycled.
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    Heavy metal concentrations in sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries
    Andrada, Mary Royce D. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2014-04)
    The concentration of three heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu) in sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries were determined in order to assess the degree of contamination of sediments in the said area. The samples were digested following the Method 3050B of US Environmental Protection Program (EPA, 1996). The heavy metal concentrations were determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS). Results show that the heavy metal concentrations ranged from n.d. - 2.57 mg/kg dry weight (dw) for Cd; 16.44-143.02 mg/kg dw for Cu; and 3.18-28.53 mg/kg dw for Pb. Sediment sample collected from BTN #10 has the highest Cd concentration while sediment sample collected from BTN 052 which is a rice field in Batan, Aklan registered the highest Pb and Cu concentrations. Three sediment quality guidelines (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Canadian Sediment Quality Guideline and Hong Kong Sediment Quality Guideline) were employed to assess the metal contamination in sediments. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in all sites did not exceed the maximum permissible limits set by the three guidelines. As for Cu, BTN 052 exceeded the Upper Chemical Exceedance Level set by Hong Kong SQG. Correlation analysis showed that there is a significant correlation (p <0.01) between Pb and Cu indicating possible similar source input. Special attention must be given to BTN 052 since the levels of the studied heavy metals are high in this area. The results can be used as basis for the pollution level of sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries. Special consideration should be given to BTN 052 since all of the test metals are significantly high in this area. It is also suggested to in identify the primary sources of metal contamination in this area.