Purifying Effect of Date palm Leaves

Date Palm Tree

Date palm leaves can help remove chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and dyes from hospital waste water before it is discharged into the municipal sewers, says a scientist from a university in Oman.

Al Said Al Shafey, principal investigator said that they could extract dehydrated and activated carbons from date palm leaves, which is a cheap and sustainable resource in Oman.

The scientists tested different carbons for removal of certain pharmaceuticals such as ciprofloxacin, paracetamol, fexofenadine, lisinoprril, diphenhydramine and chloropheneramine maleate from aquatic solutions. The chemists also examined the removal of heavy metals and dyes.

The results showed that the cheap dehydrated carbon from date palm leaves prove to be as efficient as activated carbon for removing pharmaceuticals and dyes.

According to the researchers, hospitals generate significant amounts of waste water usually loaded with microorganisms, heavy metals, hormones, radioactive isotopes, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, pigments, dyes and drug components.

Many antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, pain killers and endocrine chemicals were detected in waste water discharged from hospitals.IANS


Source:The HIndu