23 CHAPTER IV DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULT

This chapter talks about and analyzes the data and results brought about by qualitative observation. Here is a list of reaction that happened in the experiment: 1. For copper: CuSO4+ NH3 2. For lead: Pb(NO3)2 + NaOH 3. For silver: AgNO3 + NaOH Ag2O+ NaNO3+ H2O NaNO3 + Pb(OH)3 Cu(NH3)4 + SO4

Copper (II) is usually pale blue in color. In first reaction, when copper sulfate is added with ammonia, they react forming ammonia complex ion, Cu(NH3)4 , and sulfate. The color also turned into dark blue. This is because of Cu(NH3)4. If this occurs, it can be inferred that the water sample still contains copper. On the other hand, lead (II) is colorless. When sodium hydroxide is

placed into lead nitrate, white precipitates will appear if lead still exists in the water sample. The by-products are lead hydroxide and sodium nitrate. It is the lead hydroxide which has a white color that causes the creation of the white precipitates.

24 The third reaction shows that silver oxide, sodium nitrate and water are formed when silver nitrate is added with reagent, sodium hydroxide, also. This results into the formation of brown precipitates caused by the silver oxide. Silver oxide has a black or brown color. If color change took place, it can be concluded that the sample still contains silver. The eradication of the copper, lead and silver by the coconut husk may be due to its fibrous components which are the coir, bristle fiber and mattress fiber. According to evidences, the coconut husk is young but later become hardened and yellowed as a layer of lignin is deposited on their walls . It is also known that lignin is hydrophobic which means it is doesnt absorb water and the polysaccharide components of plant cell walls are highly hydrophilic and thus, it is permeable to water. Because the coconut husk used is still immature, it still doesnt contain much lignin. So when the water with the cations passed through the coconut husk, water can pass through but not the cations which will be stuck in the agent used. So the cations will really reduce and eventually removed. The husk also has a pigment called carotene which causes the orange color in lead and silver. This carotene, being an antioxidant, also has the ability to neutralize harmful compounds. That way, it helped eradicate the damaging cations from the water. On the other hand, corn bran is also fibrous but not as that of the coconut husk. It also has polysaccharide components of plant cell walls which are highly hydrophilic. It is consisted of aleurone protein which is destroyed by these

cations. After that, the cations will remain and take the place of the protein. This

25 way the copper is removed. However, the failure of the corn bran to eradicate silver and lead may be due these cations having stronger ability than copper that made them penetrate through the cell walls of the bran. Unlike coconut husk, corn bran has lesser components which can counteract against them.