The rise of mining corporations in the Philippines is constantly

increasing (Morallo, 2017). Mining sites are occupying the remote areas
of the country for the pursuit of intensive mineral extraction (Moss, 2015).
The unregulated surface run-off of mine tailings has resulted for heavy
metals to be discharged in water irrigation outflows (Egashira et. al.,
2012). Water contamination in Western Visayas (Almendral, 2017) was
found to be also caused by mine tailing deposition (Coil et. al., 2014). For
many years, mining corporations have been using synthetic chemical
substances to treat heavy metals in the water (Lenntech, 2007). The
search for more natural procedures involving heavy metal removal has
led to the discovery of biosorption (Batool et al., 2015). The shells from
locally found marine bivalves hold potential in becoming an effective
media for biosorption (Solidum, J. and Solidum, G., 2012) through the
utilization of their chitin content which possesses high affinity in binding
heavy metals (Saradan et. al., 2012). The presence of chitin among
these bivalves can be utilized for resolving the issue on remediation of
mine tailing effluents (Yao et. al., 2014).
In this study, extracted chitin from Bractechlamys vexillum, Placuna
placenta, and Perna viridis were evaluated to determine their effect on
the concentration of heavy metal Manganese (Mn) in mine water through
the measurement of their corresponding adsorption percentages.
General Objective
This study aimed to determine the effect of extracted chitin from
marine bivalves towards the concentration of heavy metal
Manganese (Mn) in mine water.
Specific Objectives
1.To determine the heavy metal Mn concentration removed in actual
and simulated mine water samples treated with extracted
chitin from shells of Bractechlamys vexillum, Placuna placenta, and
Perna viridis.
 2.To determine the chemical composition of chitin from
Bractechlamys vexillum, Placuna placenta, and Perna viridis.
3.To determine the morphological characteristics of chitin from
Bractechlamys vexillum, Placuna placenta, and Perna viridis.
4.To determine the significant difference in the heavy metal Mn
concentration removed in actual and simulated mine water
treated with extracted chitin from Bractechlamys vexillum, Placuna
placenta, and Perna viridis compared to the negative control.
Almendral, A. (2017, April 28). Philippines Moves to Shut Mines Accused of Polluting.
The New York Times, p. A10 .
Batool, R.,Yrjala, K., Jamil, N., & Hasnain, S. (2015). Production of EPS under Cr (VI)
challenge in two indigenous bacteria isolated from a tannery effluent. J Basic
Microbiol 54:1-11
Coil, D., Lester, E.,& Higman, B. (2014). Mine Tailings. Retrieved from:
http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Issues/MetalsMining/MineTailings.html
Egashira, R., Tanabe, S., & Habaki, H. (2012). Adsorption of heavy metals in mine
wastewater by Mongolian natural zeolite. Procedia Engineering Journal, 49-57.
Lenntech. (2007). Heavy Metal Removal. Retrieved from:
http://www.lenntech.com/processes/heavy/heavy_metals_removal.html
Morallo, A. (2017, February 2). DENR to close 21 mining firms.PhilStar Global, p. 1.
Moss, T. (2015). Mining Companies in Philippines Face Many Travails.Wall Street
Journal.
Saradan, D., Gomathi, T., & Sudha, P.N. (2012). Sorption studies on heavy metal
removal using chitin/bentonitebiocomposite. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813012004345
Solidum J. & Solidum, G. (2012).Assessment and Remediation of Heavy Metals in
Community Tap Water from Manila, Philippines. International Conference on
Environmental Science and Engineering (IPCBEE) vol. 32
Yao, Z., Xia, M., Li, H., &Zheng, H. (2014). Bivalve Shell: Not an Abundant Useless
Waste but a Functional and Versatile Biomaterial. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277384682_Bivalve_Shell_Not_an_Abu
ndant_Useless_Waste_but_a_Functional_and_Versatile_Biomaterial
The following are the beneficiaries of this study:
 Miners. Their mineral extraction sites will less likely to cause
casualties due to the prevention of mine tailing effluents through efficient
mine water treatment whereby decreasing the rate of heavy metal
contamination spreading across bodies of water.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This

organization committed to preserve the natural resources of the country
can take advantage of this study by pursuing its applications at the field
such as serving as flocculants in large-scale water treatment facilities.

Future researchers. They may use this study as their guide to

contribute various ways on how to resolve mine tailing effluents without
compromising the well-being of the environment.
1. Use extracted chitin from marine bivalves for
adsorption of different heavy metals at varying
concentrations and varying duration.

2. Activate the extracted chitin from marine bivalves to

yield chitosan through deacytelation for improved heavy
metal adsorption.

3. Conduct developmental studies to test the efficiency

of the extracted chitin when subjected to adsorption in
large-scale water treatment systems.
 Based on the study, extracted chitin from Bractechlamys
vexillum has the highest adsorption of heavy metal in both actual
and simulated mine water, and also has the highest chitin
composition among the three bivalves. The extracted chitin from
Placuna placenta comes in second and the extracted chitin from
Perna viridis comes in last. All significant differences were only
observed in the extracted chitin from Bractechlamys vexillum and
Placuna placenta, while none in Perna viridis.
Therefore, this study concludes that chitin composition is
directly proportional to heavy metal adsorption. Higher chitin
content yields higher heavy metal adsorption capacity.
 With this, the study generalizes that both Bractechlamys
vexillum and Placuna placenta are potent as media for adsorbing
heavy metals in mine water due to their high chitin content.
The surface run-off of mine tailing effluents from mineral extraction sites has
led to large-scale heavy metal contamination in the Philippine waters, posing a
nationwide threat towards environmental sustainability. Shells of marine bivalves
can be used as sorbents through utilizing their chitin content, which binds heavy
metals in aqueous solutions. In this study, chitin was extracted from shells of
Bractechlamys vexillum, Perna viridis, and Placuna placenta to determine their
effect towards adsorbing Manganese in mine water. First, the shells were
pulverized uniformly. Then, deproteinization, demineralization, and
decolorization, of the shells were done by adding 10%NaOH, 10%HCl and
1%NaClO respectively, following a 100g:50mL ratio. Afterwards, the extracted
chitin was suspended in the mine water samples following a 5g:50mL ratio. 24
hours after, the filtrate was analyzed by the Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission
Spectroscopy. The Attenuated Total Resonance Fourier Transform Infrared
Spectrophotometry and Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed the presence of
chitin by resembling its transmittance spectra and morphology to the extracted
chitin from shells. However, significant differences were only observed from
Bractechlamys vexillum with the highest adsorption percentage of 99.58% and
the highest chitin content of 960 as an SQ-Difference score; followed by Placuna
placenta with 99.37% and 953 respectively. This study concludes that chitin
concentration is directly proportional to heavy metal adsorption capacity.
All photos were taken by the
Bractechlamys vexillum and Placuna placenta are potent as media for
remediating heavy metals in mine tailing effluents. Further parametric tests are
researchers.
recommended to validate water quality and allow chitin to be subject for retail in
the global market.