Groundwater is a vital resource in the northern region of Sri Lanka, as it is the only water resource used for domestic, agricultural and industrial activities in that area. However, due to excessive usage of synthetic fertilizer, the groundwater in this part of the country is highly contaminated with nitrates. In addition, due to the effect of underlain limestone aquifer, water hardness is also high. The present study aimed to study the effect of filtration through Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and Phyllanthus emblica bark powder on reducing nitrate concentration and hardness. The results indicated that 21.4% reduction of nitrate concentration can be achieved by filtration through Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and 9.3% reduction of total hardness by filtration through Phyllanthus emblica bark powder. Therefore, further research is recommended on testing the potential and side effects of using Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and Phyllanthus emblica bark powder as a combined home remedial treatment technique for treating nitrate contaminated hard water.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.