Moringa Oleifera: A Green Solution for Global Water Challenges

While every part of Moringa is usable, which parts can purify our water?

Moringa Oleifera water treatment. Image created with Gemini

There is a tree that is doing more than just providing oxygen and shade, its like a magical tree, a tree with its every part usable. People can eat it or use it to treat water. It can fix blood impurities, anxiety, asthma, chest congestion, cholera and many other conditions. Further, it is known for its variety of pharmacological benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-hypersensitive, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic and hepatoprotective properties.

Water is one of the essential elements to sustain any life form on Earth. There is more water on Earth than land, but water that can be used to sustain life is only 3%, and if we’re talking about accessible water, then it's less than 2%. The increasing population is increasing the water demand and pollution. Our freshwater sources are no longer safe enough to be used directly for drinking purposes. On the other hand, we can no longer afford to discharge our waste waters without treating them into water bodies. So, it's becoming more and more necessary to treat water as a healthy practice. There is a range of water treatments to choose from. There are conventional water treatment methods such as preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary treatment to advanced ones such as phytoremediation, membrane-based procedures, ion exchange, electrochemical treatment, adsorption, biological treatment, Fenton processes, coagulation, flocculation, UV-based processes and many more. To choose the best one, professionals often use criteria like the type of contaminant being removed, the source of water, environmental compatibility, and most importantly, cost effectiveness.

Moringa Oleifera is used as a very cost-effective and environmentally friendly plant-based coagulant. Coagulation is a chemical process used in water treatment to remove suspended particles. The plant’s leaves and seeds can both be used as coagulants. The coagulation processes for both leaves and seeds are  similar: leaves/seeds are crushed and mixed with water to create a slurry, which is then added to the contaminated water. The coagulants in the leaves/seeds cause the impurities to clump together and settle at the bottom of the container, leaving behind cleaner water. While Moringa leaves may not be as effective as the seeds in some cases, they offer a readily available and affordable alternative for water treatment, especially in areas where Moringa trees are abundant. By making a few changes in the process, such as playing around with sedimentation time and dosage of coagulant, people can achieve removal efficiency of 90% or more.

Moringa has been used in water treatment from ancient Egyptian times, and the research to make it more efficient and feasible is ongoing. Researchers around the world are working on finding the efficiency of Moringa Oleifera in treating water from various industries and regions, considering factors such as contamination type, concentration, coagulant dosage, and sedimentation time. At the advanced level, they are researching how to genetically increase the coagulant protein production in its seed, making nanoparticles of Moringa to target only a specific pollutant such as heavy metals, combining Moringa-based treatment with other technologies like filtration to increase overall efficiency and more.

The Moringa tree is a fascinating gift of nature that humans should treasure. More research on its various uses can open doors to a more sustainable future by adapting nature-based solutions. Not to forget, with more research, more planting of these trees is also essential.