Crystal May Anne B. Collado, Zarelle Grace V. Niangar, Nicole Mary Therese R. Taleon (February 2004)
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
This One Group Pretest-Posttest study in a Completely Randomized Design determined the effectiveness of crab shell chitin as filter for lead ions contained in water. This study specifically determined the mean amounts of lead in the three solutions and the mean pH levels of the crab shell chitin filter before and after the filtration process. 600 ml of distilled water containing 0.3 grams of lead acetate was divided into three groups. These groups underwent the filtration process. After the extraction of chitin from crab shells, triplicates of the lead acetate solution were filtered using the extracted chitin. The effectiveness of the crab shell chitin filter in removing lead ions in water was determined by pretesting and posttesting the lead content of the three solutions. The pH of the chitin filter was the property noted for any change brought about by the filtration of lead ions in the solutions. Data gathered were analyzed using the paired sample t-test.
The crab shell chitin filter was able to remove lead ions in the prepared lead acetate solution. This showed that the crab shell chitin filter has the capacity to successfully remove lead ions in lead-contaminated water.
The pH levels of the crab shell chitin did not differ significantly. The presence of lead in the crab shell chitin filter was not able to significantly alter its pH level.