2021 | Nigeria | AJASA KEHINDE TIMILEHIN , Obikoya Ayomide

Purification of Water Polluted By Petroleum Product Using Locally Sourced Materials

Water issue adressed: Too dirty
2021 Nigerian Stockholm Junior Water Prize Winners

NATRIFIER DISPENSER is a natural purification system that helps to purify water polluted with petroleum product using locally sources materials such as Moringa Oleifera seed and granulated activated charcoal. This project also entails development of ‘’Natrifier’’ a sustainable mobile water purification flask for families living in affected communities to purify polluted water themselves.

This is how I came up with the idea for this project:

Over 51 years ago a semi-urban area in the heart of the former capital of the country experienced a petroleum pipeline vandalization crisis where petroleum products were intended to be collected for personal interest the pipeline got broken and petroleum products were disposed into water bodies in that community.

Safe and good quality drinking water polluted by petroleum products produces some heavy metals/elements, and it is a necessity to purify the water to ensure healthy standards of living. The ultimate source of these heavy elements is generally from petroleum products . There are different way of metallic pollution of drinking water such as rainwater. Most times, water gets polluted with heavy metals while passing through the soil. Other factors includes the discharge of dangerous petroleum products from industry, agriculture and other human activities which largely contributes to the pollution during distribution. Health problems of the world also increased due to the pollutants in the drinking water. The drinking water pollutants are high enough to cause immediate health effects. Drinking water polluted with petroleum products are more likely to cause chronic health effects. Usually, a chronic health effect happens when a human is repeatedly exposed to accumulated large amounts of harmful chemicals in the drinking water. Examples of chronic health effects are basal cell carcinoma cancer, liver and kidney damage, cardiovascular disorder and renal injuries. Drinking water contaminants, which may lead to health effects, are divided into five groups including microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection by-products, inorganic chemicals, and organic chemicals.

CONTACT WATERTANK

Ania Andersch

Programme manager ania.andersch@siwi.org +46 8 121 360 59