Shortage of clean drinking water is a serious problem faced by the world at present times, with water borne diseases claiming 5 million deaths globally each year. Many methods are available to treat contaminated drinking water; however, cultural, economic, and social factors often impair implementation of these methods, particularly in developing countries. Moringa and ginger root powders appear to offer a promising alternative to treat contaminated drinking water. This study examines the nutrient composition of Moringa and ginger roots and determine their antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (E. coli). After growing Moringa and ginger plants in a greenhouse for seven months and three years respectively, their roots were harvested, dried, powdered and analysed for their chemical composition using ICP-MS and Elemental analysis. The most abundant metal found in both the root powders was potassium, while calcium, magnesium, sulphur, sodium, and phosphorus were other elements present in high amounts. However, the concentration of these metals in Moringa and ginger root powders varied significantly. The abundance of essential elements in the two root powders justifies their use as a point-of-use water treatment method. For both Moringa and ginger root powders, 1400 mg/L concentration was determined to be the most effective concentration as it reduced E. coli in contaminated water by 88.66% and 62.63% respectively. The combination of the two root powders appeared to have a synergistic effect on E. coli as Moringa and ginger root powders combined in 1:1 ratio reduced bacterial counts by 94.78% when added to the contaminated water at 2000 mg/L.
Moringa oleifera is a tropical tree with nutritious, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Moringa seeds have been studied for their ability to purify water, however roots have not. This study identified the nutrient composition of Moringa roots grown in a greenhouse, and tested whether the roots improved water quality. Moringa roots were dried, powdered and added to contaminated water to test their impact on E. coli, pH, turbidity, and electrical conductivity. The chemical composition of Moringa roots were measured using ICP-MS. The five main elements observed were potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and calcium. None of the elements extracted were of health concern for drinking water quality. Electrical conductivity and pH remained within drinking water quality guidelines. Moringa root powder resulted in a significant increase in turbidity. Moringa concentration of 600 mg/L removed up to 87% of E. coli in water. Moringa root powder shows some potential as a point-of-use water treatment.
