Durian fruit –king of fruits. An expert says, Durian peel is efficient oil absorbent that can aid in the recovery of spilled oil at coastal areas. The durian peel is considered as an agricultural waste but it helps to remove oil from water. This was found by Dr S. Kathiresan of AIMST University.
The lecturer in the university’s Biotechnology Department said laboratory results indicated that chemically-modified durian peel powder was also an efficient absorbent for recovery of spilled oil in water.
He also stated that, the bio-absorbent can be used for cleaning oil spills along coastal areas that cause adverse effects not only to all living sea organisms, but also human economic activities. Agro-waste has a huge commercial potential due to its efficiency in oil absorption, cost effectiveness and biodegradability.
A simple experiment was made with durian peel. Dr Kathiresan said, the durian peel is collected and washed several times with tap water to remove dirt and ground into powder and modified with a variety of chemicals. The modified durian powder was also able to retain its original efficiency to absorb spilled oil.