Corncob (Zea Saccharata) on Its Natural State an Effective Crude Oil Adsorbent than Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Coir Fibers Alija May P. Apego IX – Curie Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Research 2 Agusan National High School A.D. Curato St., Butuan City Mrs. Marie Lou S. Paler
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Corncob (Zea Saccharata) on Its Natural State an Effective Crude Oil Adsorbent than Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Coir
Fibers
Alija May P. Apego
IX – Curie
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of
Research 2
Agusan National High School
A.D. Curato St., Butuan City
Mrs. Marie Lou S. Paler
January 2016
ABSTRACT
Oil spills are currently destroying bodies of water
where marine lives are at stake. Oil spills are liquid
petroleum hydrocarbon released to different bodies of water
due to unintentional and negligent release of used gasoline
solvents and crankcase lubricants by industries and
individuals.
Corncobs, crude oil, and a saltwater simulation is
required for the experiment. Crude oil is poured on the
saltwater simulation to imitate an oil spill in a body of
water. Corncobs are weighed before and after they are
dropped on the oil spill simulation, which is also done to
the coir. This process is conducted for one hour and done
three times for the researcher to know that the experiment
wasn’t done by chance. The outcome of the controlled and
experimental group was then compared and contrasted. The
statistical tool used was T-test on the significance of the
difference between correlated means.
After an hour soaking in the oil spill simulation and
then retrieved, the corncobs’ average additional weight is
49.30% while the coir had an average of 71.15%. In both
ii
variables, oil wasn’t completely adsorbed but both variables
have the tendency to adsorb oil. However, the controlled
variable or the coir had adsorbed more oil the experimental
variable or the corncobs.
Hence, there is a significant difference between the
adsorption of oil by corncobs and coir. The potential of a
corncob to adsorb oil is lesser than the coir.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The researcher would like to express deepest gratitude
to all the persons that have become a big part of this
study.
The Lord Almighty, from which all knowledge and wisdom
emanates.
To all my friends, classmates especially to Athena
Olano and Hazel Cayomo who helped the researcher to make
this research study presentable.
Finally, to my family, especially my mother,
father, brother, grandparents and cousins for their
unconditional love, moral and financial support in order to
finish this study and make it possible.
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page No.
TITLE PAGE i
ABSTRACT ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
LIST OF TABLES vii
LIST OF FIGURES vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 2
Statement of the Hypothesis 2
Significance of the Study 2
Scope and limitation of the Study 3
Conceptual framework the Study 3
v
CHAPTER II REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE 5
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
Sampling 10
Treatment Proper 11
Data Gathering 11
Data Analysis 12
Disposal 14
CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 15
CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY viii
APPENDICES
Appendix A xiv
Appendix B xviii
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1.0 The Weight of Each Group Before And After the 12
Experiment Began
2.0 The Average Percentage of the Increased Weight 15
of the Corncobs and Coir
3.0 Summation of the Data and Summation of the Data xiv
Squared By Group
3.1 The Weight of Each Group Before And After the xvii
Experiment Began In Grams
LIST OF FIGURES
1.0 Independent, Intervening and Dependent Variables 3
2.0 Increase of the Weight in Percentage of Both 16
Groups
vii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Irresponsible waste disposal, unprotected areas of
water and the release of used oil is the main cause of oil
spills. An environmental problem we currently have. This
study consists of the purpose, importance, conclusion,
hypothesis, the methodology adopted and objectives of the
investigation.
Background of the Study
Oil spills are environmental disasters (Dave & Ghaly,
2011) currently destroying bodies of water where marine
lives are at stake. Oil spills are liquid petroleum
hydrocarbon released to different bodies of water due to
human activity.
The unintentional or negligent release of used gasoline
solvents, crankcase lubricants by industries and individuals
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) and pipe-line vandalization
1
(Ndimele, 2010) may also be classified as acute
anthropogenic sources of oil (Wang & Stout, 2010). The oil
spill is a problem for the livelihoods of the population who
depend on fishing and tourism (World Organization et al.,
2013).
Statement of the Problem
This study aims to identify if corncobs can help
decrease oil spills in polluted bodies of water in the
community. It answers the question: Is a corncob, on its
natural state an effective adsorbent for oil spills in
polluted bodies of water?
Statement of the Hypothesis
Yes, corncobs on its natural state can be an effective
oil adsorbent or has potential to decrease the amount of
used oil from contaminated bodies of water.
Significance of the Study
2
The outcome of the study may be an implication to help
communities whose bodies of water are contaminated by
spilled crude oil. The corncobs being experimented to be as
an adsorbent may decrease current or possible oil spills
from bodies of water where factories or industries are being
planted on have no proper waste disposal. It may also help
ensure the protection of public health and marine life.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The research and experiment is only limited to corncobs
on its natural state an oil adsorbent. It does not include
corncobs with floating devices, wrapped in its husks,
cooked, or without kernels. Also the study is limited to
contaminated bodies of water, specifically on oil spills.
To have accurate observations, the experiment was done three
times with precise measurements.
Conceptual Framework
3
Independent Variables
Corncobs
Liquid
Petroleum
Hydrocarbon
Salt Water
Intervening Variables
Water
current
Amount of
Oil
Weather
Dependent Variables
Corncobs
adsorbs oil
Petroleum is
less toxic
Figure 1.0 Independent, Intervening and Dependent Variables
4
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Various studies related to corncobs as an adsorbent for
oil spill have been conducted so for many of which are
partly similar to this study. The Gulf Study was conducted
on June 2010 as a feedback after the explosion of the Deep
Water Horizon drilling Rig, resulting to the most
devastating oil spill in the United States. The Gulf study
aims to determine both physical and mental effects (Sandler,
2010) and the long-term effects (Petri, 2015). Both studies
are gathering information as a benefit for the public to be
more aware of the dangers of health and the environment by
hazardous substances when not managed properly (LaGrega et
al., 2010).
Similar studies had created solutions with the use of
image processing and computer vision (Radhika & Padmavathi,
2011) such as the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) an image
5
segmentation which is already used for medical purposes and
detects floating oil on the surface (Hess et al., 2013) to
permit effective satellite surveillance in the marine
environment (Bhogle & Patil, 2012). Desulphurization of
liquid fuels by adsorption with the use of mineral clays
(Shakirullah et al., 2012).
According to the International Tanker Owners Pollution
Federation (ITOPF), the effects of an oil spill will depend
on a variety of factors including the quantity and type of
oil spilled, (Fingas, 2012) and how it affects the marine
environment. The other key factors include the biological
and ecological attributes of the area; the ecological
significance of key species and their interaction with oil
pollution as well as the time of year (ITOPF, 2010). The
similarities of the studies are that both have intervening
variables, including the type of oil that has been spilled
to the body of water and on how the chemical substance to be
used interacts with the marine environment.
Oceanic oil spills became a major environmental problem
in the 1960’s, mainly as a result of transporting more than
500,000 metric tons of oil (Britannica, 2015). “It
doesn’t look like it’s going to be catastrophic. But that
doesn’t mean there’s not going to be a damage,” said Pete
6
Raimond of the University of California Santa Cruz (The
Guardian, 2015).
Corncobs have been used as oil absorbent after the
wreckage of a ship, releasing 220,000 tons of heavy crude
oil in 1978. Adria Brown, founder of Brown’s Company,
Recovery I Inc., has developed a product cold “Golden
Retriever” that is experimented to absorb oil from water
(Siegel, 2010). The development of the study is stated to
be economical for its use of dried corncobs that have gone
through a process for agricultural uses and is very useful
for cleanups since it is buoyant and while adsorption
occurs, it remain afloat (Harrison, 2010). Adria Brown said
she has about 34,000 tons of properly dried material to help
the system of waste management (Czarnik, 2010) and the oil
soaked corncobs could either be burned for fuel or the oil
from the corn cob is separated from the corn cob for future
use (Walker, 2010).
In a study where the absorbents being experimented are
coconut husks and corncobs, aims to compare the absorption
capability of coconut husk, grounded and ungrounded corn cob
and also to discover which of the absorbents is more capable
and effective at removing oil from the water. The outcome
indicated that the surface area is a factor in absorption
7
(Omoniyi et al., 2012). The difference of both the studies
is that the independent variable of the study is grounded
and ungrounded corn cob while the researcher’s variable to
be used are corncobs on their natural state.
An experiment was performed with crude oil and its
fraction only and a mixture of crude oil and its fraction on
water. The result of the study reveals that the synthetic
absorbent mat absorbed oil more than the corn cob and it did
not absorb water while absorbing the oil while the corn cob
did (Kelli et al., 2013).
According to Fox News, in the latest oil spill, workers
shoveled tar balls that were carried away for disposal.
They had to be careful not to disturb populations of
Westering Snowy Plovers that were in the middle of their
breeding season (Associated Press, 2015). The abundant
production of aquatic organisms in aquaculture depends on
its environment but those organisms live in water and the
environmental problem is water quality (Boyd & Tucker, 2012)
and groundwater quality (Nwachukwu & Osuagwu, 2014).
An article entitled A Novel Sustainable Oil Spill
Control Technology revise oil spill control techniques, its
components and chemicals, and their advantages and
disadvantages (Al-majed et al., 2012). The study also
8
suggests natural sorbents which may also be an indicator of
the level of air pollution (Sandu et al., 2012) and on soil
(González et al., 2010). The spill of crude oil affect the