COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF NEEM AND BASIL LEAVES AS WATER PURIFIERS USING SOLAR ENERGY

ABSTRACT

The research was aimed on comparative evaluation of Neem and Basil leaves as water as water purifiers using solar energy. Standard bacteriological methods were used to enumerate the total bacterial population in each treatment. The bacterial isolates were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical methods and sugar fermentation test. The percentage distribution and frequency of the isolates were evaluated using statistical method. The result obtained from study indicated that there was a higher bacterial population in the river water before the commencement of treatment. The values ranged from log10 cfu/ml 1.78 to log10 cfu/ml 2.29 from ordinary water-Basil treatment. The microbial count obtained after treatments ranged from 0.84 log10 cfu/mL to 1.61 log10 cfu/ml in river samples only. There was a 95.85 percentage reduction from day 0 to day 4 exposure from the treatments. Following the cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics, the isolates obtained in this study were Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella sp and proteus mirabilis.