Can Moringa Seeds Purify Water?

Moringa’s Antimicrobal Qualities

The bulk of Moringa’s power is the ability to coagulate particulates, bacteria, and toxin, but that’s not all it can do.  It also has antimicrobial properties that can make bacteria unable to replicate.  This is the equivalent of killing it as the danger of a bacteria’s short life cycle is in it’s ability to reproduce. 

The antimicrobial aspects of Moringa continue to be researched.   In one study, Moringa oleifera seed powder was shown to effectively drop coliform count in water.  In addition, seed extract showed antibacterial activity to the four tested organisms, i.e., Escherichia coli, E. coli, Salmonella typhii and Shigella dysenteriae.  This study, concluded that Moringa oleifera L. leaf extract can effectively inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections such as abscesses.  

Moringa doesn’t kill/remove 100% of the bacteria in any of the studies I’ve read.  But…….it’s highly effective and costs very little to employ.  In the context of third world water sources, the ability to mechanically separate out impurities like dirt, bacteria and toxins along with the ability to destroy bacteria, make the Moringa plant a life saving resource.   

Moringa ALSO Removes Heavy Metals?

It seems a too good to be true, but Moringa oleifera seeds have also shown promise in removing heavy metals from water supplies.  In one study, researchers were able to completely remove iron from a water source in Malaysia, as well as lower copper and cadmium by up to 98% and lead (Pb) by 82.31%.   Other studies have yielded similar results and are found in the “sources” section below.