The Utilization of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Leaf Fiber as a Main Component in Making an Improvised Water Filter

Abstract

Access to clean and safe water is known to be an obstacle for many people globally, leading to the necessity of creating a water filtration method that is feasible and can be made even in rural and developing areas. This study aimed to make an Improvised Water Filter that is sustainable, cost-effective, and locally sourced, using Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) leaf fiber as a main component. The Date Palm leaf fibers were extracted by boiling, drying, and manual scraping. The study strived to investigate the capability of Date Palm leaf fibers alone to improve water quality by testing fungal presence through culturing, physical pollutants by utilizing a microscope, and pH level and salinity levels using a calibrated multitester. The research findings proved the effectiveness of the Improvised Water Filter specifically by reducing fungal colonies by 4.33 and 8.33 in saltwater and contaminated water respectively, eliminating the majority of the physical pollutants by 53.5 micrometers and by 256.3 micrometers, neutralizing the water pH levels by 0.60 and by 0.78, neutralizing the salinity levels by 149.67 ppm and by 338.33 ppm, and exhibiting reliable durability and functionality properties in terms of its structure and filtering media condition with a water flow rate of 1.1L/min and 1.02L/min, and a minimal reduction in the weight of the filtering media by 3.7g and by 3.3g in saltwater and contaminated water respectively. The Improvised Water Filter has effectively filtered and neutralized the water samples, improving the water quality. Future researchers are recommended to conduct comparative studies involving Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and other natural materials, examining filtration capabilities and efficiency, material durability, and by further investigating other water quality indicators to create an improved product that can produce potable and safer water.