CHAPTER II

Theoretical Framework

Review of Related Literature

According to the Adedge Water Technologies, LLC (2017), water is essential

for all human life on the planet, but the fresh water supply is limited and is

susceptible to being contaminated by all manner of toxins like arsenic, calcium, and

mercury. There are many techniques to remove contaminants, including popular

methods that add chemicals to balance others out, but one that not many people

understand is biological water system filtration. Biological filtration uses “good

bacteria” to digest waste and balance water. The same principles are used in

aquariums, septic tanks, and many other applications. Afterwards, the water is sent

through several other systems to completely purify it and make it exceptionally safe

for drinking.

The foregoing article has significant bearing to the present study because this

lets the researcher understand more about why it is needed to purify water for our

daily living and not all kinds of filtering waters are safe because of the chemicals.

Affordability was determined at the same time as profitability.

The Water Purification Station enables pumping, purification and

disinfection, and has huge potential of carbon emissions reduction by avoiding

boiling water with firewood or charcoal. The target groups are poor households
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living in off-grid areas with severe health, water and sanitation problems. The

system also aims to create local entrepreneurship and enhance local communities’

ownership on a development project, within a public-private partnership initiative.

Solar water pumping is an attractive option for irrigation and drinking water

supplies in view of increasing diesel costs and grid electricity scarcity. Currently

direct coupled Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) solar run water

pumps are extensively used worldwide.

If there is no water purification, poor water sanitation can leave adults and

children susceptible to a variety of waterborne diseases, including typhus, cholera

and typhoid fever. The risk of fatalities is so immense that every 20 seconds, a child

passes away as a result of inadequate sanitation, according to the United Nations.

The ultraviolet form of purification is most widely used throughout the world

and is called Solar Water Disinfection, or SODIS for short. This simple and

effective method can be used by anyone and is also recommended by the World

Health Organization (WHO) as a method of household water treatment and storage.

The study about water filters, like the solar water filter, can help many people that

aren’t able to afford the pricey water filters.

Pure Aqua, Inc. (2013) said that, water that contains too much iron,

manganese, and hydrogen sulfide in it can cause a smell, discolor, or taste. In water

filtration, the proper way to treat this problem is with a green sand filter. A green

sand filter is made up of manganese green sand or is more scientifically known as

glauconite. Green sand filters require a pretreatment of an oxidizing agent first,

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chlorine works best when removing iron from water while potassium permanganate

works best when dealing with manganese. Due to the pretreatment, when the water

comes in contact with the manganese green sand, either the iron, manganese or

hydrogen sulfide instantly oxidize. This means the impurities go from a dissolved

state to clumps and then they become trapped in the filter media. As water continues

to travel down the tube, the iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide are removed

down a different pathway.

The foregoing article has significant bearing on the present study because

this provides the researcher some details about the water contains and that the water

purifier can remove the impurities out of it.

Solar energy can be used to supply the energy required to heat water by

making use of a solar still. A solar still operates on the same principle as that of rain

formation: water from the ocean evaporates, then cools, condenses, and returns to

earth as rainwater. When the water evaporates, only pure water vapor is formed

while contaminants are left behind in the still basin and the distillate flows to the

collection gutter by gravity. Solar stills have proven to be highly effective in

providing safe drinking water. The effectiveness of distillation for producing safe

drinking water is well established and recognized. The efficiency of a still is based

on the amount of useful energy that the still converts as a function of the incoming

total radiation.

In the case of this study, the source of energy is a non-consumptive and free,

yet irregular in its availability. The energy varies depending on the time of the day
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and also due to seasonal and climatic changes. For high efficiency the solar still

should maintain a high temperature of the feed (un-distilled) water which can be

obtained if a high proportion of the incoming radiation is absorbed by the feed water

as heat. Hence a system with low absorption glazing and a good radiation-absorbing

surface are required. There is also a need to keep heat losses from the floors and

walls low and make the water shallow enough so that there is less to heat.

The designed purification system provides a low cost long term solution that

is maintainable by the local residents. Ultraviolet water purification technology in

couple with local planning and cooperation is a strong water quality solution for

underdeveloped or rural areas because of its adaptability and low cost per amount

of purified water. Given the local availability to purchase and obtain the system

components, a purification unit can be easily manufactured and installed by the

local population

Conceptual Framework

This study is intended to develop more knowledge about a solar water purifier

and its effectiveness to purify water. This story was anchored to the works of

authors Seth Beachy, David Gallagher, Ben Barkley and Jamison Swope entitled

DESIGN OF A WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM: A Water Purification

Solution Utilizing Ultraviolet Light for Village of Konalai in Southern India

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Research Hypothesis

The researcher hypothesized that the solar water purifier is effective on

waters that are not contaminated by chemicals.

Research Paradigm

 Salt water  Solar Energy

o 60 mL  Time for the water to be
o 120 mL purified
o 180 mL  Amount of the purified
water

Based on the research paradigm, the different amounts of salt water are the

independent variable, while the solar energy; time for the water to be purified; and

the amount of the purified water are the dependent variables.

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Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally and theoretically for proper

understanding of the readers.

Chlorine. Is a chemical element with symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The

second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the

periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them.

Cholera. Is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium

Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe.

Glauconite. A greenish clay mineral of the illite group, found chiefly in marine

sands.

Hydrogen sulfide. Is the chemical compound, It is a colorless gas with the

characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. It is very poisonous, corrosive, and

flammable.

Iron. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is by mass the most common

element on Earth, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core.

Manganese. It is not found as a free element in nature; it is often found in minerals

in combination with iron. Manganese is a metal with important industrial metal

alloy uses, particularly in stainless steels.

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Oxidizing agent. (Oxidant, oxidizer) is a substance that has the ability to oxidize

other substances (cause them to lose electrons).

Potassium permanganate. Is an inorganic chemical compound and medication.

As a medication it is used for cleaning wounds and dermatitis.

Solar still. It distills water, using the heat of the Sun to evaporate, cool then collect

the water. There are many types of solar still, including large scale concentrated

solar stills, and condensation traps (better known as moisture traps amongst

survivalists).

Typhoid fever. Also known simply as typhoid, is a bacterial infection due to

Salmonella typhi that causes symptoms. Symptoms may vary from mild to severe

and usually begin six to thirty days after exposure.

Typhus. Also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include

epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include

fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.